A concert in the palm of your hand - Blink-182’s Tour kicks off in a bag of Doritos

That’s the gimmick behind a new online promotion from Doritos that centers on an “augmented reality” performance by the California band “Blink-182” which broke up in 2005. A special symbol printed on limited-edition packages of Doritos Late Night chips, will serve as a virtual “ticket” to the show. To unlock the online video, fans visit the Doritos Late Night website, flash the Augmented Reality (AR) marker at their webcams and watch as a stage literally appears to pop out of the package of snacks.


By blending 3-D, video, webcams and interactive AR elements, the 3-D image of Blink-182’s taped performance can also be manipulated by moving and shaking the bag. Like holding a hologram in your hand - this participatory experience lets viewers zoom in and interact with the performance. After the song finishes, fans even get a chance to bring the band back for an encore. The more noise you make, the faster they’ll come back out. Genius. To further integrate and amplify, after the virtual two-song show, viewers can also enter a contest to win tickets to a real world Blink-182 concert.


As a part of the integrated promotion, Blink-182 also seeded the content; tweeting about a “mystery video” that showed a little of the green-screen shoot for the Doritos promotion.


The Evolution of Celebrity Endorsement
Companies have a long history of enlisting famous faces to push products, but as brands fight for attention in an increasingly saturated media market, advertising campaigns often turn to the Internet and the latest emerging technologies in an attempt to generate interest.

Rapper Big Boi of hip-hop duo Outkast also performs a song using the same Augmented Reality (AR) technology as part of the Doritos campaign. Recent improvements to 3-D video and Adobe Flash make this kind of interactive web content possible today. Moreover, the songs will be viewable by anybody with a broadband connection, a webcam, a reasonably new computer and one of the AR markers.


Check out the Video of how Doritos did it? (Well Proto and Mekanism for the puppet masters at Goodby).


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Goodbuzz creates social media campaigns that entice consumers to play, create, and share brand experiences. We focus on developing "branded utility" - moving away from interruptive 'push' models towards more meaningful ways of connecting. From simple metrics to actionable insights that enable data-driven marketing decisions - Goodbuzz links social media efforts to business outcomes. Visit Goodbuzz Inc.

Social Truth and Authenticity? When a product or brand's promise seems too good to be true

In the age of Photoshop, subtle imperfections seem to be lessened.  Our skin is fresh and blemish-free, our jawbones chiseled, cheekbones defined, and teeth shining bright. Even that last ten pounds around the waist evaporates with the swipe of a mouse!

Whether the mop that promises to make floors look ‘new’ with just one pass, or any number of products that claim and reinforce ‘perfection’ messaging - it’s the scenarios Martin Lindstrom identifies where, there’s “not even a hint of a single red spot, a stubborn stain, or a bedraggled mother”.  This is really the story of the past fifty years of advertising.  An industry developing messages that implied, portrayed, and promoted ‘perfect’ brands in ‘perfect’ environments.   Let’s face it - nobody likes canned laughter.

Did you ever wonder how consumers interpret these messages?  The simple answer is pooly.  Consumers are a lot savvier than most advertisers give them credit for.  According to test subjects monitored using fMRI, messages portraying perfection were not seen as trustworthy.  This is because consumers don’t ‘mirror’ themselves against such images, nor are they inspirational motivators.   

All attempts at portraying some otherworldly perfection seem to actually generate feelings of enormous distaste (and in some cases even horror) in the minds of consumers.  People related best to are those who we perceived shared our weaknesses - those who mirror, or at least seem capable of mirroring, the mistakes we tend to make. 

From the Simple Life to the Hills to YouTube, reality programming dominates our modern landscape.  Fueled by our desire for authenticity, Life has become the ultimate reality show.  More and more advertisers are beginning to recognize that consumers enjoy watching, and empathizing with, people just like them.  Why?  Simply because ads and commercials created by everyday people tend not to feature models, but rather normal looking people who resemble us.  It allows us to connect and identify with them more easily.  Moreover, average looking people seem more inviting, as if welcoming us to the brand. Real people suggest any authentic back-story.  

The one thing we know today?  If a brand’s claims seem too good to be true - they probably are.  What do you think?
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Goodbuzz creates social media campaigns that entice consumers to play, create, and share brand experiences. We focus on developing "branded utility" - moving away from interruptive 'push' models towards more meaningful ways of connecting.  From simple metrics to actionable insights that enable data-driven marketing decisions - Goodbuzz links social media efforts to business outcomes.  Visit Goodbuzz Inc.