Law & Order: Legacies Gets Gamified On iOS

February, 2012

Law & Order produced an iOS game application to support the seven episodes of the Legacies season. Within the application, and for the price of $12.99, users can access all seven episodes and place themselves in a game which follows the season. Users can log-in as their favorite characters on the show, investigate cases and find different endings to cases shown on the series. To learn more about this digital mobile application, please visit TellTaleGames.com.

Verizon-Redbox Looking to Compete With Netflix

February, 2012

Verizon Communications and Coinstar, the owner of Redbox DVD kiosks, will be introducing an online streaming-video service that will directly compete with Netflix the second half of this year.  The service will allow users to stream video content via the web, mobile devices and downloads, with the option of physical DVD through rental kiosks.  Verizon will own a 65% stake in the service and Redbox will hold the other 35%. For more information, please see Adage.com.

TinTin Movie Launched Art Book iPad App

December, 2011

The new Steven Spielberg movie, The Adventures of Tin Tin, has launched an ‘Art Book’ iPad app to accompany the coffee table book The Art of The Adventures of Tin Tin. The coffee table book features exclusive full page images of the behind the scenes art that went into making the full length 3D feature film of the old comic book.  The iPad app features the same illustrations and images as the coffee book, but also includes 3D characters, scenes, and vehicles of the movies that users can rotate and explore on their iPad.  Exclusive video content and 360 degree experiences are also hidden throughout the app encouraging users to truly “explore” the world of TinTin to discover exciting and engaging content.  The revolutionary book app is only $5.99 in the iTunes app store as opposed to $40 for the coffee table print edition.  For more information please see TechCrunch.

Spotify Releases Radio

Spotify, the latest game changer in the digital music space has just released Spotify Radio.  The new radio feature, allows users access to any and all of the stations available, along with unlimited skips.  Stations can be created around artists, genres and songs, making Spotify Radio a direct competitor to the industry’s leading internet radio brand, Pandora.  For more information, please visit: http://www.spotify.com/us/blog/archives/2011/12/09/discover-the-new-spotify-radio/

“Instant Santa” Brings Laughs This Holiday

December, 2011

Instant Santa, an app for iDevices, will bring holiday humor this year for mobile users. The app instantly places Santa in any photo. Users can select a number of poses by Santa (including lying down, dropping off presents, or even chugging a beer) to insert into their photos. A standard Santa image is free to those who want to use the app, but for 99 cents, users can download “Good Santa” and “Bad Santa” images. The app also allows for instantaneous social media uploads. To learn more, please visit Mashable.com.

Starz’s Promotes Spartacus via FB Game

December, 2011

Starz recently launched a Facebook game and sweeps promotion for the upcoming season of the bloody and sexy original series Spartacus.  The Take Up Arms game allows fans of the show to choose a side, either the Rebels or the Romans, and start earning points by completing various challenges.  Players can compete by themselves or play along with friends or other fans of the show to win a grand prize trip to New Zealand to visit the set of the show.  For more information, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/spartacus.starz?sk=app_184858578240123

Top Chef Launches “Top Chef University” App

December, 2011

Bravo TV’s Top Chef has launched an iPad application called Top Chef University to teach everyday users tips and techniques from the show’s contestants. The app houses 10 video tutorials on cooking techniques and comprises of over 200 lessons, all based on 20 different skill levels. Video tutorials also come with lessons in key terms, tips for particular recipes and an area to take notes. To learn more about how this app sets itself apart, please visit TopChefUniversity.com.

Muppets Supports Movie Via “Muppet Maker” App

December, 2011

With the new Muppets movie premiere on November 12, the franchise developed an iPad application that allows visitors to “Muppet” themselves. Called “Muppet Mail”, users create a Muppet version of themselves that they can then email on occasion-themed templates to friends and family. The application ties into Facebook to alert users of friends’ upcoming birthdays. The app is currently available for download on iTunes for $2.99.

Spotify Now Offers Apps

November, 2011

Spotify, the music streaming service, is now offering its own apps. The apps will be based around HTML5 and Javascript standards which run inside Spotify. Some examples of available Spotify apps are Rolling Stones (providing “best of” lists), TuneWiki (providing song lyrics) and SongKick (providing concert dates).  For more information, please see Gizmodo.

Credit Site’s Mobile Tagging Campaign

November, 2011

In collaboration with Shazam, FreeCreditScore.com will support their tie with music by allowing users who tag songs in the commercials to track their credit scores no matter where they are. Along with the credit score updates, users who tag the commercials can also gain access to ringtones by the “FreeCreditScore.com Band” and wallpapers. Ken Chaplin, senior VP of Marketing for Experian Consumer Direct, said, “The Shazam opportunity is a great fit for our brand because it allows us to extend the brand’s reach through the continued lyrics and songs performed by the freecreditscore.com band.” To learn more about this mobile marketing program, please visit MobileMarketer.com.

Slingbox Creates Facebook App

November, 2011

Slingbox, a remote video control site, has launched a Facebook app in addition to their existing mobile apps. For users who have the SOLO or PRO-HD service, the app allows them to change channels, control their DVR in addition to watching their favorite programs Users can also post status updates regarding the shows from inside of the application. To learn more about this new application, please visit TechCrunch.com or Facebook.com.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade Launches App

November 2011

Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade is celebrating their 85th anniversary by going mobile. This year, the Parade will launch a mobile app featuring parade day tips via a route map, a wifi hotspot finder, “Clingle” – the parade participant tracking feature and more. The app is available to both iOS and Andriod users. For more information and a video about the app, please see Mashable.

Virgin’s First Time Facebook App

November, 2011

Do you remember the first photo that you and your bestie were tagged in?  Or can you recall the first time you checked in somewhere with your BFF on Facebook?  With Virgin’s new First Times Facebook app you can.  The app uses the new Facebook Timeline feature to highlight your “firsts” with friends.  The app is just one component of a 26-hour “social marathon” hosted by Richard Branson that will celebrate the company’s history.  To read more, please visit: http://mashable.com/2011/11/14/facebook-first-times-app-virgin/

Disney Partners With YouTube

November, 2011

The New York Times has reported that Disney and YouTube are about to announce a partnership deal worth between $10 and $15 million.  According to the Times, “YouTube will invest millions of dollars on an original video series produced by Disney and distributed exclusively through a new co-branded channel on both YouTube and Disney.com.”  To read more, please visit: http://mashable.com/2011/11/07/disney-youtube-partnership/

YouTube Launches Merch Store

October, 2011

YouTube has made a move into the music e-commerce business with The Merch Store.  YouTube has partnered with several e-commerce companies including Songkick, Amazon and iTunes to offer consumers the ability to purchase digital downloads, concert tickets and various branded merchandise from YouTube channels.  To learn more, please visit mashable.com

Paramount Offers ‘Transformers’ Directly

October, 2011

Paramount Pictures has created a video streaming site that offers viewers a direct video of the new Transformers: Dark of the Moon, in HD or standard version. The appeal to the consumer is that Paramount has eliminated the middle man. Ordinarily Netflix, Facebook, Blockbuster Movie Pass or a satellite provider would partner with Paramount to show the film. Now, consumers can visit this link, vod.transformersmovie.com, pay a one time fee and watch the movie at their convenience within 48 hours of making the purchase. For more information, please see Paramount Transformers.

VEVO Honors Nirvana With Online Concert

September, 2011

Vevo will commemorate the 20th anniversary of Nirvana’s “Nevermind” album by playing one of the band’s album concerts online. The concert was filmed in 1991 at the Paramount Theater in Seattle, WA, and will air without commercials on Vevo for one day only. In addition to the online concert, fans can visit a micro-site set up specifically for fans to share photos and memories of the band, album and concert. To learn more, please visit Mashable.com or Vevo.com.

Pandora Revamps Its Website

September, 2011

Popular music site Pandora has revamped their site and lifted the existing 40-hour listening cap. The site has moved away from the use of Flash, and is now built in HTML5 to increase the speed at which someone can move about the website. The music dashboard has been moved to the top of the website to allow users to search underneath without leaving the page, and a “shuffle” function has been added to create a mix-up of music possibilities. Social sharing has also been added to the music player. To learn more about the website re-haul, please visit Mashable.com.

Shark Week Bites Into Social Media

September, 2011

The Discovery Channel has always considered social media an important tactic for promotion and increasing their fan base. Their most recent social media efforts have been to promote this years Shark Week. The event, named Shark Week Photo Frenzy, asked fans to submit pictures of how they celebrate Shark Week to Facebook and Twitter. The results were very successful and received over 1,000 submissions. For more information, please see Shark Week.

Fast 5 Speed to the Safe Launch

September, 2011

The popular Universal Studios major motion picture, Fast 5, has launched a new site to promote the release of the movie’s DVD. The site offers fans of the movie the opportunity to watch clips from the movie as well as pre-order the DVD or Blu-Ray. The main feature of the site is the unique “Speed to the Safe” interactive game. Users search pictures from the movie for special hidden codes. As users find the codes they can then use these to try and open a safe.  If one of the codes opens the safe, the fan wins one of many prizes which include a grand prize of a trip to Rio. The codes can be saved and re-entered every 24 hours for extra chances to crack the safe and win prizes.  The site was developed for Universal Studios by Moosylvania Marketing.  For more information, see Fast Five – Speed to the Safe.

Bloomingdale’s Uses In-Store Aug. Reality

September, 2011

Bloomingdale’s stores have partnered with CBS to provide in-store shoppers with an augmented reality experience. When in-store, shoppers can pose in different sections seemingly alongside characters from CBS’ line up of fall shows and share their photos with friends via social media. During the first promotion, visitors to any of the 44 Bloomingdale’s stores could “pose” with cast members of the new show The Playboy Club. In addition to posing in photos, some shoppers also have the opportunity to win a trip to LA to visit the set of one of CBS’ shows or a grand-prize trip to Chicago for a part in The Playboy Club. To learn more about this partnership and promotion, please visit LuxuryDaily.com.

CBS Promotes Fall Line Up Via Social Media

September, 2011

To promote their line up of Fall TV shows, CBS is turning to social media to interact with fans. Every Monday, fans can log-in to Facebook or Twitter and pose questions to Producers of their favorite shows. The Producers will answer the questions in real time on CBS’ online 15-minute show, Fall Premiere Show. In addition to the online show, CBS is bringing back the “Tweet Week” (September 19-26), during which fans can interact with stars of the shows during the actual TV show premieres. To learn more, visit Mashable.com.

Lionsgate launches “The Hunger Games” Campaign

September 2011

Lionsgate launched the second phase of their viral campaign for the upcoming film, The Hunger Games. The first trailer was launched at the MTV VMA Awards which included a hashtag, taking Twitter users on a hunt to find the hidden website. After the website was revealed, a fading image on the site has slowly become more clear. Now, users can identify themselves via their Twitter log in for the next phase of the campaign, which assigns users to a District. Users will compete with their Districts to move forward, bringing twitter, clues and competition together to launch this viral campaign. For more information, please see  Mashable.

WWE Tag-Teams with 7-Eleven

September, 2011

World Wrestling Entertainment and 7-Eleven are teaming up for an end-of-the-summer promotion. Slurpee and Super Big Gulp cups and straws will be branded with WWE stars like The Miz! and The Rock! Social media will play a large part in this promotion, said the WWE, by posting weekly alerts and new product collectibles. The WWE fan base is extremely loyal and is expected to draw many into 7-Eleven stores. For more information, please see WWE Summer.

Fox Searchlight Releases Film Trailers via QR Codes

August 2011

Fox Searchlight releases trailers for their new film, Martha Marcy May Marlene, using QR Codes on promotional materials to drive views. Ads, theater standees and coasters feature the QR codes embedded with one of two trailers. As the first studio to bypass traditional promotion for movie trailers, Fox Searchlight may have chosen a fitting campaign for this film, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January. For those who may miss the codes, a website similar to the theater standees will allow for views, too. For more information, please see Mashable.

Disney develops Tech. for entertainment

August, 2011

Disney is taking the vibration from mobile phones to a hole new level. They have taken the sensation of this movement and distributed it across the entire body with the use of their Haptic Surround technology. The program plays off of sensory feedback in video games and movies resulting in a head to toe jolt. The technology can be used in countless fields including medicine and gaming, but Disney hopes to utilize it for the ultimate movie viewing experience. For more information, please see Fast Company.

Taco Bell Promotes MTV Content

August, 2011

Taco Bell has launched a campaign with their package design that uses QR codes on its beverage and box packaging. When consumers scan the QR codes with their phones, they are brought to a site with exclusive MTV VMA content. The Video Music Awards is set to take place on Sunday, August 28^th, so Taco Bell and MTV are working together to get users excited about the event. For more information, please visit Mobile Marketer.

Sony’s Qriocity Offers Video

August, 2011

Qriocity’s video service lunched today, Monday (August 1). It is essentially the same video-on-demand service used by Sony through the PS3, PSP and web-connected Bravia television, but moved to the mobile space. Qriocity provides a ton of movies and television content from NBC, Universal, Fox, Sony, and Paramount. This launch, however, does not include everyone. Sony is only allowing Qriocity video access to its own handsets. For more information, please see Qriocity.

Zyanga’s WWF on Facebook

August, 2011

Words With Friends, the wildly popular mobile game from Zynga, is soon to be offered on Facebook. The new version will allow users to continuously play. You can start a game on Facebook, and finish it on your iPhone or Android device. This is Zynga’s first mobile to Facebook game. For more information, please see WWF.

Amusement Park Goers Instantly Share With RFID

July, 2011

The Great Wolf Lodge chain of water parks does business a little differently with new technology. The company is already a step ahead by using RFID wristbands as room keys and on-site charge accounts. Taking it a step further, they are implementing kiosks for guests to register their band straight to their Facebook accounts. After doing this, every time they get their picture taken at one of the parks photo opportunity spots they can scan their band to immediately upload the photo online. This scanning technology could be a great way for brands to bring consumers their real-time lives online. For more information, please see Spring Wise.