In August 2011, Tesco, the world’s third largest retailer, launched a virtual store on the subway in Seoul, South Korea. It is designed to give time-poor commuters the chance to shop on the go using their smartphones. The virtual location is laid out exactly the way a typical Home Plus store would be. The company has created photo layouts of products it sells with a unique code for each product. Consumers scan the QR codes for the items they wish to purchase and then proceed to the virtual checkout. Orders placed before midday will see goods delivered that same evening. Watch the video and discover what a success story this has been. This is the future of advertising, the future of branding and the future of consumption. Exciting stuff!!!

Big thinking always wins over big budgets and a little lateral thought can pay huge dividends. We love it when our clients approach us seeking marketing ideas that make a splash without costing a bundle of cash. We are compelled to emulate clever ideas like this great campaign promoting a dinosaur exhibition. It’s a cost-effective innovative idea that is well considered and well executed.

We see so many advertisements every day and it takes a lot for one single advertisement to make an impression. In a desperate attempt to grab consumers’ attention, advertisers have created ad clutter, bombarding us with up to 3000 advertisements per day. That’s 3000 messages consumers are expected to absorb. Everywhere we turn we’re saturated with advertising messages on television, radio, online, bus-sides, coffee cups, urinals and more. It never ends. Find a blank space and it’s very likely you’ll soon find an ad there.

Ambient ideas like this rubbish bin, albeit with clever graphic design, smashes through the ad clutter, guaranteeing some precious cut-through and hopefully meeting some communication goals.