apt blog

Reality check for Toyota means a campaign to remember

We at apt are always intrigued by innovative and interactive advertising campaigns and this year, the activity at Toyota caught our eye. In a bizarre but memorable campaign to promote the 2012 Carolla earlier this year, Toyota teamed up with the Japanese computer-generated pop sensation Hatsune Miku to target the Asian-American market. The car company created QR codes known as ‘ToyoTags’ which, when scanned, drove traffic to the Toyota website. The QR codes also enabled users to download the Toyota shopping app and, as a result, gain access to a special performance by Hatsune who could be seen singing on a virtual stage alongside the 2012 Carolla.

Toyota succeeded in using highly advanced technology to bring together the 2012 Carolla and the virtual reality star in an impressive feat of augmented reality. We’re not the only ones to think so too - interest in the car rose by 30% in the week of the campaign and the Toyota shopping app rose in popularity by a whopping 600%! 

This impressive campaign aimed to attract the young, technology savvy target market for the 2012 Carolla and to keep them thinking about the car after the campaign was over. Hatsune Miku certainly seemed to work her magic over the Asian-American audience but would a similar campaign be as effective in the UK? We will have to wait for Toyota to target the UK market to find out!  

November PR Blog

Another busy, busy month for apt PR!

Although it has been previously posted, it’s still worth another mention that the Montpellier Bar Racing Evening was a big success in November, raising £670 for the Cedars Amethyst Trust.

On the same day as the Racing Evening, we also attended The Inn at Fossebridge to take part in their annual Christmas fair. This event raised almost £500 for local charity Hop Skip Jump, which provides day care for children who require special support.
The event was the first of its type to be held at the Inn which proved to be very popular! It was good to see local businesses getting involved such as Funky Diva Designs, The Stripy Company and Biba Designs as well as demonstrations from Head Chef Matt Wardman, Makeup artist Emily Tarrant and Florist Caroline McShane.

Staying on the theme of all things Christmassy, Cedars Health and Beauty Centre held their Christmas Shopping event in their salon in GL1 Leisure Centre on 29^th November. The evening was another success which raised £550 for the Cedars Amethyst Trust, the charity founded by the owners of the salon. apt’s very own Jake Stavrinides was at the event offering reflexology treatments to the guests.

We are also pleased to announce that we are now the PR Company for The Wyastone, a gorgeous family run hotel in Montpellier. We have our first event coming up with them next weekend, a Winter Time art exhibition by local artists, Karen Dove, Jon Edwards and Fran Browne. The event will be taking place Saturday 17^th (6-9pm) and Sunday 18^th (1-4pm) December. apt will be there and to make sure the event is an absolute success and, of course, to enjoy the complimentary glass of wine being offered to guests!

A 3D optical masterpiece from LG

If you haven’t seen this video yet, it is well worth a watch. The apt team were stunned at the 3D optical stunt put on by LG in Berlin last year and came away having been convinced that the company was an expert in new generation technology. There’s no hiding it, we were impressed!

The video starts with a real building onto which an image of that same building is projected. The projected image then breaks up and its parts are turned into a moving robot. Using the latest projection technology, this robot eventually turns back into the original building which then goes through a spectrum of impressive changes. The building ripples, there are injections of colour and then the facade freezes over. We are then taken to an underwater world where animals and fish swim around the building, before being presented with ice-skaters and a giant octopus that tears through the facade. The optical show leaves the viewer with the simple message to ‘OPTIMISE YOUR LIFE’, and after apt’s viewing, we were left in no doubt that LG could help us on our way.   

So what are the potential applications of a technology like this? Derelict buildings and empty spaces could become the most technologically advanced marketing tools and any location could potentially be turned into a 3D cinema. The advertorial and commercial possibilities are countless (depending on your budget of course!).

If technology such as that displayed by 3G in Berlin takes off, we are certainly in for a future of adverts with the WOW factor. apt are excited and look forward to seeing what else is on the horizon...

QR codes: not just for Christmas?

Since apt took a look at HMV’s latest venture to draw in more customers over the Christmas period, John Lewis and eBay have both stepped up and revealed a similar Christmas marketing campaigns using QR codes.

Waitrose in Brighton has set up a window display of the 30 top-selling John Lewis Christmas gifts where customers can view items that are not usually sold in store. By scanning the QR codes that accompany the products on their smartphones, customers will be taken to the appropriate product page on the online John Lewis site and will be able to buy their selected items on the spot and collect them from the store the very next day.

Similarly, eBay have launched a five-day QR experiment that goes live today. If you visit Dean Street, Soho, you will now find a special eBay shop complete with 200 products that can be purchased via QR codes.

QR technology means that customers don’t even have to talk to a sales advisor to make a purchase whilst they are actually in or standing next to a store. It is certainly not the most sociable of shopping experiences but if these two campaigns prove to be popular, we could see the click and collect service being rolled-out all over the UK and by increasing numbers of sellers.

But how many people actually use QR codes? We have all seen them dotted around the place but is it a small group of technology fans that make use of them? Are they merely a novelty that will wear off? Or will more and more people catch on? Yet again, we will have to wait and see!