Promo - December 2007 - (Page 50)

“PROMOLAND” THE LATEST IN NARROWCASTING Dogs can pick up soundwaves that humans can’t hear. And some preoccupied creative individuals are often accused of following the beat of their own drum while everyone else looks on puzzled. Clear Channel Outdoor’s Spectacolor Division recently launched a state-of-the-art, high-definition digital billboard in New York City’s Times Square at West 47th Street and Broadway. Among the features is a dedicated audio channel received via mobile phones by dialing a toll-free number. Plans are under way for the billboard to utilize hypersonic sound technology, making it possible for an outdoor billboard to send audio down to an individual standing in a particular spot, so only that person can hear the signal. According to Clear Channel, advertisers will have access to a standard feature that is unrivaled by any other billboard in existence today, including Bluetooth downloads, interactive content via short code and Times Square’s first free public WiFi Hot Spot. “Advertisers will benefit from the ability to now create an immersive brand experience with real consumer feedback,” said Harry Coghlan, president of Clear Channel Spectacolor, in a statement. “Interactive content displayed on Spectacolor HD will allow people to communicate directly with a brand and each other through a Web-based interface that turns people’s mobile phones into remote controls.” Second Life knock-offs of a plush desk chair have the furniture maker taking action. Miller Takes a Stand on Seats Companies have a hard enough time protecting their brand from knock-offs in the real world. But the rise of virtual worlds has opened a new front in the war on copyright and trademark infringement. Some manufacturers are deciding that they’ve got a lot at stake in cyberspace, and they’re taking action to defend what they see as their unique intellectual property. Furniture designer Herman Miller makes the Aeron chair, a plush desk-sitting machine much favored by computer jockeys everywhere. In Second Life, residents can write programs that create objects and then “sell” those virtual goods to others. So it’s not to be wondered that Aeron lookalikes—complete with adjustable settings, very like the real deal—started appearing in Second Life pretty early on and can now be bought with the game’s currency in several places. Second Life has encountered this kind of infringement issue before, and the world’s creators, Linden Labs, have provisions for taking down applications at the request of rights holders under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. But those procedures are slow and run the possible risk of alienating Residents who suddenly find their virtual furniture impounded. Instead, Herman Miller has taken the step of opening its own store in Second Life and offering residents who own the ersatz Aerons a chance to “Get Real” by trading their faux furniture for an authorized company-designed model free of charge. To get their trade-in, owners need simply to “bring” the copies to the New Herman Miller Second Life store, where the copies will be mulched into pixels. The offer, first made in October, is for a limited time only, although no deadline has been published. First-time Second Life buyers can get an officially sanctioned Herman Miller design piece for between $350 and $800 Linden dollars—which converts to $1.40 to $3.50 in U.S. currency. The “Get Real” campaign is actually a bleed-through from carbon-based reality, where Herman Miller has long faced the problem of low-priced copycat versions of its Aeron chairs, Eames chairs and other distinctive designs. “For some time we’ve urged customers to ‘check the product, check the source and check your conscience’ before purchasing a classic,” said Marg Mojzak, director of Herman Miller for the Home, in a statement. “We’re bringing that same message to Second Life—and in the virtual world you’ll be able to own and enjoy them for pocket change.”—Brian Quinton STRAIGHT OUT OF HARLEM Rapper 50 Cent’s Latest album Curtis helped him win the World’s Best Selling Artist Award (at the World Music Awards last month), which is determined by actual sales figures gathered from countries across the globe. A stroll along Manhattan’s West 125th Street in November found a stencil of the CD’s logo, presumably the guerrilla marketing work of a Harlem street team. BOTTOM LEFT: JAKE JAFFEE 50 December 2007 / WWW.PROMOMAGAZINE.COM / Promo http://www.promomagazine.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Promo - December 2007

Promo - December 2007 Contents Editor's Note Urban Refuge Digital Directive Soft Soap Voice Lessons Jordan's Monster Deal College Bowl Sprawl Good Deeds Commentary Blue Christmas Q&A: Clutter Cutter Widgets? They're Easy The Agency Center Resource Center Secret Weapon Index of Advertisers

Promo - December 2007

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