iPad App

Get Inspiratored by Bentley Motors.

Earlier today a friend sent me a link to the Bentley Inspirator, which is an iOS app that uses facial recognition to help determine and configure the Bentley you should purchase. For some reason I felt compelled to download it and try it out. Surely the Bentley app would know to put me into a Continental. It did not. It put me into that ugly ass new Bentley SUV the Bentayga, and it chose the color brown.

The app itself is pretty slick. Using the camera on your iPhone or iPad it tracks your expressions and eye movements as it shows you a series of photos and then determines which car is right for you. If you don’t want to use the facial recognition, you can use the touch version and physically make your choices.

Now, even though the app is pretty slick I think the reason it put me into the Bentayga, is because that is the only real choice. It looks as though this app is specifically promoting that product. The reason I say that is, after going back through the app several times, using the touch feature instead of the facial recognition feature, I always got the brown Bentayga. No matter what images I chose.

Its a well made app that links back to the Bentley site which also very well put together. The production value of the video components in the app are really well done, which you would expect from a brand like Bentley. And it is an engaging form of entertainment wrapped in advertising for a product that is geared to those that can afford it.

Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” Goes Interactive.

How do you take a song that is almost 50 years old and breath new life into it? You create a compelling interactive experience that creates an entirely new way to experience it. Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” is just that. The interactive video can be found here, and if you install the dedicated app, you can get the full experience.

Produced by New York based VFX studio The Artery in conjunction with Israeli director Vania Heymann, the interactive video comprises the look of 16 interactive TV channels. It’s absolutely brilliant, and about a million times better than Dylan’s latest album release. This is actually quite addictive once you get into it.

The Monkeys + IKEA + Scrapbooks = KLIPPBOK.

Every time I turn around, IKEA is introducing some new digital marketing piece. It doesn’t matter if it is for the European stores, or as in this case for IKEA Australia. IKEA is a brand that understands how to use digital to extend brand presence and drive traffic to purchases of physical product.

KLIPPBOK is an iPad scrapbooking app that was designed and built by The Monkeys for IKEA Australia. Taking advantage of intuitive touch functionality, KLIPPBOK allows the end user to mix and match IKEA products, and experiment with ideas for their home. The app allows you to create scrapbooks, swatchbooks or roomsets, of IKEA products. Your saved KLIPPBOK pages can then be published and shared to Pinterest, or Twitter. (note that Facebook is not on the list)

My only gripe about this product is the lack of online catalog integration, and hooks to the IKEA online stores. I’m sure the thought process behind leaving this out has to do with the fact that the product prices listed in KLIPPBOK are for IKEA stores in New South Wales, Queens Land and Victoria. Perhaps if this rolls out on an international level catalog integration will be included. One advantage of not including hooks to online shopping, anyone in the world can use this app to generate home decorating ideas using IKEA products.

Time To Bend Your Noodle and Fight Hunger in America.

CP+B have created a desktop and iPad experience for KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese designed to stop food waste, promote creativity, and help stop hunger in America. The application was built using flash and cross compiled to work on iOS. (I’m kind of surprised hey don’t have an Android version of this available as well since the desktop app was developed using Adobe Flash.)

KRAFT’s ‘Dinner Not Art‘ application donates 10 noodles to Feeding America for every virtual noodle saved in the macaroni art that you create. While this number seems small, think about the number of pieces used on average by a kid when making a macaroni masterpiece. It ads up fast. The application is easy to use and a little addictive. So long term, this could create a large payout for Feeding America if the application takes off.

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The application features a fun easy to use interface that is intuitive for younger children, and actually rather fun for adults. The bright colorful UI reflects the KRAFT Mac and Cheese box and branding colors, but does it in a way that never feels like Kraft is promoting their product. It’s this subtle balance that really wins here. Throughout the experience the participant is shown a counter that increases with each noodle added. (The feel good factor). At the same time the KRAFT brand is represented in an unobtrusive way, and subtly promotes the product. At the end of the experience you have the option of saving and sharing your creations. (another feel good factor).