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Mayonnaise isn’t just for sandwiches. At a supermarket in São Paulo, Hellmann’s used NFC technology to suggest new recipes to shoppers as they perused the aisles. (Thanks, Tim.)
When people placed a jar of Hellmann’s in their trolley, a specially-fitted computer tracked their movement around the shop.
It then recommended recipes they could pick up nearby – a summer salad with mayo in the fruit and veg aisle, and a fish bake near the fishmongers. If people liked the recipe, they could follow directions to each ingredient, or share it on social networks.
Around 45,000 shoppers took part in the Recipe Cart campaign, which – according to Hellmann’s – led to a 70 percent increase in sales.
Food & drinkPersonalisationRetail
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First there was easyJet. Then easyHotel. And now there’s easyGym.
Yes, Stelios has expanded into the fitness market with a chain of no-frill gyms. You can already work up an orange sweat in six spots across the UK. And from next month, there’ll be a new branch on Oxford Street, too. (Good find, Andy P.)
As our London team know, gym membership in the area can be anything up to £130 a month (ouch). So for £19.99 a month – or less if you get in quickly – easyGym might just do what it promises and ‘revolutionise’ the capital’s fitness market.
But don’t relax too much. Just like your on-flight G&T, classes and personal training aren’t included. And you even have to pay extra if you want to watch TV.
Health & BeautyLeisureSportWell-being
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Some robots would be no good at mixing a martini. C3PO, for example, would no doubt bruise the gin with those inflexible elbows of his, despite his plummy butler act. But these ‘guys’ put the most balletic of bartenders to shame. Fresh from MIT’s Senseable City Lab and rocking the bar in Milan is Makr Shakr: three robotic arms that can mix any drink you desire.
Head to the Galleria del Corso, download the app and design your own cocktail – or choose from a literally endless list, before pinging it off to the barbots. And then watch in stupefied, puny human wonder at the poise and precision of the robotic arms at work, synched to mimic every action of a real barman and the style of ballet dancer, Roberto Bolle, whose grace was filmed and captured in the programming. Sponsored by Coca-Cola and Barcardi, it’s really raising the bar for drinks brand experiences.
Food & drinkPersonalisationTechnology
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First we fell in love with the synchronized-swimming Waterbabies. Then, those lockin’ n’ poppin’ Rollerbabies. Now, it’s time to connect with your own inner baby. Evian’s newest CGI tots are taking the Viral Video Chart by storm, as “Baby & Me” has topped the No. 1 spot with around 50million views, generating more than 80 related clips, 740,000 Facebook shares, and 11,000 comments.
Continuing the ever-popular Live Young campaign, the latest cutefest shows adults discovering and interacting with their baby-selves in the reflection of a store window. Watch out for the mirror-image posters and the app to generate your own mini-me, coming soon.
Via. http://adage.com/article/the-viral-video-chart/40-million-views-people-love-evian-s-babies/241292/
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James Bond’s video wristwatch. Captain Kirk’s communicator. Wearable technology is no longer a fantasy, but coming soon to a body part near you. And the battle for who’s going to own the platform, set the standards and attract the world’s top developers is about to start raging.
Wireless headset company Jawbone (the maker of life-tracking wristband, Up) have announced their intention to buy wearable sensor maker BodyMedia for an estimated $100 million. These exciting times mean technologies like Google Glass eyewear, the Nike+ FuelBand, personal heart-rate monitors and running shoe sensors will soon be part of everyday life, not yesterday’s sci-fi.
