AT&T had a series of commercials back in 1993 that had examples of some of the cool new technologies that the company had hoped to develop in the future. The ad agency that did the commercials must have had a professional futurist working for them, because they were strikingly accurate.

It’s now 15 years later, lets see how well they did:

Have you ever borrowed a book from thousands of miles away?
The internet fits this description pretty well. In 1993, the web was a baby, and most people didn’t even know the word “Internet”. So the concept of reading a library book from anywhere in the world seemed fairly radical. Now it’s commonplace.

…crossed the country, without stopping for directions?
I think this one is the most impressive. The first GPS-based vehicle navigation system was released in 1995, two years after this commercial. And it wasn’t until 2000 that Selective Availability was ended, which made GPS units a real marketable precision. The video in the commercial looks like it could be any modern car equipped with a modern GPS unit. Spot on accurate.

…or sent someone a fax, from the beach?
This is an example of the basic idea of the technology being available, but not in the same way that it’s shown in the commercial. You may not be able to send someone a fax from the beach, but you can send someone an email, which has the same effect. This one not only assumes tablet PCs or touchscreen PDAs, but also assumes some sort of wireless communication system. Another good one.

Have you ever paid a toll, without slowing down?
Electronic toll payment had been an idea as far back as the 1980s, but it wasn’t until 1997 that the EZ Pass system really took off. Between 1993 and 1996, the entire NY thruway was fitted with EZPass, and that’s when it really started growing. So they had this one beat by 4 years.

…bought concert tickets from a cash machine?
You can buy concert tickets from kiosks at the entrance of most venues. Movie theaters have the same thing, those rows of ticket kiosks where you can slide your credit card and buy a ticket for whatever show you please. Or you can just do it online.

…or tucked your baby in… from a phone booth?
Ouch, they were doing so well until this one. People have been dreaming of future videophones for many many years, but we still don’t really have them. They’re the staple future-gadget for any sci-fi segment, but despite the fact that we have the technology to create them… they’re just not commonplace. The demand isn’t there for them apparently. And then… “phone booths”? I haven’t even seen a payphone for weeks. Do they still exist? This one is a strike for AT&T.

Have you ever opened doors, with the sound of your voice?
Biometrics is another one of the future-gadgets that are common in science fiction, and just like videophones, still not commonplace in real life. Keys work so well, and are so much less expensive, that any sort of biometric door lock (fingerprint, retina, voice) would be pointless and prohibitively expensive. Strike 2 for AT&T.

…carried your medical history, in your wallet?
I don’t really know about this one. With insurance companies creating vast databases, your medical history is no doubt linked to your social security number by now. So in a sense, this one is true.

…or attended a meeting, in your bare feet?
Another videophone one? Not really, this one is more realistic since video conferencing is fairly widespread. Videophones are for one person calling another person; video conferencing is for a group interacting. Video conferencing is a reality now.

Have you ever watched the movie you wanted to, the minute you wanted to?
Digital cable is a fairly recent development, and it allows for two-way communication between the viewer and the cable company, so that the viewer can do things like pick the movies they want to watch at any given time. Also, with the constantly increasing capacity of broadband internet, sites like Hulu.com could make it possible to view anything you want to watch, at anytime, anywhere.

…learn special things, from far away places?
This is basically a function of the internet. It seems to be showing a classroom via the internet, which is a common use of the internet.

Overall, its an amazing series of ads from AT&T. About 80% of the calls they made came true, and they were strikingly accurate with the ones they did get right. Good stuff.

I am so looking forward to the Star Wars Force Trainer.

The Force Trainer is basically a simplified type of EEG machine. It comes with a headset that measures a players brain waves and allows them to manipulate a ball inside a clear 10-inch-tall tube. It translates your brain waves into action, just like a biofeedback machine. This is the first time EEG technology is being used in toy, and the potential uses are endless.

Not only can it work as a fairly inexpensive (it’ll be $90-$100) biofeedback machine to help children learn how to achieve a relaxed state of mind quickly… but imagine what can be done with this thing by some enterprising “home engineers”. This machine translates brain waves into electrical signals, that means with minimal effort, a person could perhaps rig a light switch to the headset, or the power on your TV.

Plus, I think the machine interprets the brain wave signal on a scale, which means it could be programmed to do more than just turn something OFF and ON. With some practice on the machine, a person might be able to change channels with it (up, down, neutral), who knows. I can’t wait until this thing hits the market and the masses get to work. Exciting times in the Empire.

This looks to me to be a re-edit of some actual footage of the new Toyota Prius commercial. The Blue Man Group is apparently in the commercial, but judging from some of the bizarre, unprofessional cuts used in this video, I don’t think this is the official version. I could be wrong, but something about this video just doesn’t seem right.

Any Adsavvy readers out there care to correct or enlighten me, please do. I’d love to get to the bottom of this.

Many holiday gift givers are trying to save money by making their own gifts this year, or buying handmade gifts from others. Scrapbooks, jewelery, homemade soap, various knitted bits, etc. As a result craft stores are seeing a boom in sales. Sales of handmade crafts on eBay climbed 34 percent; and the online craft marketplace, Etsy, has been breaking records for the past 2 months. Last month, artists sold $10.8 million of goods on the site, compared to $4.2 million in November 2007.

The big craft chains are seeing profits too. The Michaels Stores chain has been selling record numbers of craft supplies and things used to make jewelry, baked goods, scrapbooks and decorated clothing. It’s going to be a Bedazzled Christmas.
Meanwhile, during this craft boom, the nation’s overall retail sales in November fell 7.4 percent from the same time last year.

Michaels has altered its marketing strategy to take advantage of the new trend this season. The company’s new advertising campaign is called “Endless Creativity, Endless Savings” and focuses on highlighting the craft supplies for handmade gifts that have been selling so well. They even started a website called Where Creativity Happens with how-to videos on making craft goods and gift ideas.

Very few people have the disposable income they’re used to this year, but they still need to feel like they did something special for the people they care about. Cue craft stuffs. Crafts have that image of being personalized. If craft stores and small scale sellers capitalize on this Christmas boom to keep the craft idea in the heads of consumers, they can hopefully keep some of their gains after the holiday season. They need to really push the idea that craft goods are more heartfelt and meaningful than the regular electronics that people get for Christmas, and hope the masses buy it.

Meet Vincent Dooley, as played by Andrew Bowser. He’s the star of the upcoming film The Mother of Invention, a mockumentary about an aspiring inventor who dreams of winning the annual young inventor’s award. Unfortunately, he’s tried and failed for years, usually losing to Martin Wooderson, his arch-enemy.

Picture a cross between Napoleon Dynamite and The King of Kong, plus it’s about inventors. According to the film’s website, it was shot for an ultra-slim budget of $75,000, raised mostly by their friends and family. And judging from the viral videos online and the trailer for the film, I have a feeling it’s going to be a future cult classic, and make that money back plus plenty. So I’ve compiled all the viral videos related to the film here on one page. Enjoy:

There are 4 different videos on Vincent Dooley’s YouTube channel. Although his Vimeo page has those same 4 videos plus a bunch of others, and some clips not related to the movie, like his portrayal of Zeppo Jonas, the 4th Jonas brother, and my particular favorite, his response to celebrity voting videos.

The Official Trailer

Vincent Talks to Animals

Tears of a Child

Vincent in the Dance Studio

Vincent and the Super Suit

The Macelet

The Inventor’s Corner

Meet Martin Wooderson

Meet Vincent Dooley

Check out more information on the films website: ExploreInspire.com

Burger King has finally kicked off it’s slighted twisted take on the classic taste test this weekend. If you haven’t yet seen the set of 15-second teaser ads leading up to the launch, the campaign is a taste test with participants who’ve basically never heard of a hamburger. It features various isolated peoples from around the world, hence “Whopper Virgins”, to participate in the “world’s purest taste test”. They asked Thai Hmong tribesmen, Transylvanian farmers, and some Inuit from Greenland to choose either the Whopper or the McDonald’s Big Mac.

This is the latest bit of marketing from BK’s agency, Crispin Porter & Bogusky. CP+B is also responsible for previous ads like the motivational spoof Dr. Angus, the Whopper Freakout day where customers were told Burger King no longer sold Whoppers, and all the ads featuring the exceedingly bizarre King. This ad seems like the most ambitious to date though. “We wanted to see how the Whopper would perform in a world that didn’t have ad or marketing awareness or any sentimental attachments” says Russ Klein, president of BK’s global marketing. Of course, even before the main ads came out, tons of people were offended, as people often are. Read on:

Among the offended are the legions of comfortable, first-world, self-hating American bloggers who will find any reason at all to be angry at a multi-national corporation. In this case, they consider the Whopper the forbidden fruit that’ll suddenly give the tribesmen knowledge of evil Western ways, force them to abandon their culture, and get them kicked out of their Garden of Eden. Once they taste those delicious trans-fats, they’ll instantly give up their 20 hour work days and seal meat breakfast and move to Hollywood.

It’s such ridiculous and transparent anger. We should feel lucky though, that we have the free time to get offended when a group of people thousands of miles away gets fed hamburgers. The number of things a society gets offended by is directly proportional to it’s level of wealth.

Despite all the outrage, these are very clever ads. The whole campaign is well done… the teaser ads give that anticipation and build up to the main ads like they’re going to be some sort of event. Plus, the idea of the taste test generally does well in advertising, and this is a nice, sideways take on it. The implication is that MacDonalds is on top because of their name recognition, yet Burger King has the inherently quality food. They wanted to convey that idea while at the same time making hip, aesthetically pleasing ads. The message comes across that, once you get past all the names and BS, the Whopper is the better burger. The truth, of course, is that that’s just advertising too, and both companies just make garbage food for fatties. Still, well played BK; well played CP+B

Check out the set of 15-second teasers and get pissed:

Transylvanian Farmers

Thai Hmong tribesmen

And the campaign’s website:
WhopperVirgins.com

If you’re unaware, have forgotten, or have been living in Soviet Russia for the past decade, step out of your time machine and onto the fertile ground of faux-capitalist America… it’s almost BLACK FRIDAY. The time of great discounts is nearly upon us. Prepare, prepare!

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, and it’s generally considered the first day of the holiday shopping season when stores start their special deals and discounts, and when you can usually get some of the best deals of pre-Christmas season. Cyber Monday, on the other hand, is the online shopping equivalent of Black Friday. It’s the Monday right after Black Friday and is really more of an advertising gimmick than an actual heavy shopping day. Either way, there are deals to be had on both days, and they’re fast approaching, so you need to get yourself together and make sure you’re ready for the traditional ultra-feast of American consumerism.

Strangely, there hasn’t been much advertising for Black Friday this year, despite the fact that stores need to do well this holiday season to help pick up for the very weak consumer spending up until now. Usually, half of all retailers annual sales are from holiday spending. So it’s a big deal for sellers, they’re much more nervous than you are.

Retailers, this year especailly, are going to be pushing products with deep discounts, so get out there and take advantage of it. You’re not only buying things that will make your friends and family happy, but you’re helping the economy. You are a patriot, are you?

Either way, if you’re going out on Black Friday, the most important thing is being prepared. Review some of the websites at the bottom of this post, and make a list of what you want to buy, how much it’s going to cost, and where you’re going to buy it. Your list should be prioritized – as in, the stuff you really need at the top, with stars or some snazz like that around them. Remember that stores don’t have an unlimited supply of goods, so they might run out of some of the things you want, in that case, it’s good to have a back up plan like a second item to replace the first. Make sure you write down the sale prices and which stores has the best deal for each product, that way you can lay out a route of stores to hit in a certain order so you get things done super efficiently.

AdSavvy Hot Tip:
When you’re waiting in line outside a store before it opens, make sure you mentally determine the weakest and frailest member of the crowd, that way, when the doors do finally open and the crowd starts to run, you can knock that person down. This will have the effect of slowing down the crowd behind you, giving you a few precious extra seconds to snatch up that super cheap flash drives or GPS navigator. Buy Buy Buy!

More Black Friday resources like sale information and stores and such:
Black Friday Ads
Black Friday Dot Net
FatWallet Black Friday Info & Forums
GottaDeal’s Black Friday Resources
Black Friday Dot Info
The Consumerist’s Black Friday-related posts

Agent Provocateur constantly pushes the envelope when it comes to sexy advertising. This Kylie Minogue ad came out in December of 2001 and caused a huge hullabaloo. It was banned by UK TV networks (all 1 of them, the BBC), and it ended up only able to be shown in movie theaters.

Luckily it made it’s way to the internet and became one of the most viewed videos ever. Some estimates say this particular video has been viewed over 360 million times. Sex sells.

Finished watching? Ok, stand up…

The final episode of the Audi’s Arrested Development inspired advertising campaign, Meet the Beckers, has been released, and I’m excited.

In a world without new episodes of Arrested Development, it doesn’t take much to excite me. Even a commercial that’s vaguely similar to the greatest show of all time can give me a reason to get up in the morning.

Anyway, in the first episode, we meet the whole family. Jason is the regular guy, and the Audi driver of course. He’s bringing his girlfriend to meet his dysfunctional family for the first time. His aggressive brother Billy drives a BWM cuts off a Prius. His drunken, country club-visiting father (The Commander) drives a Mercedes. And his doormat brother (or brother-in-law, maybe) Lewis, drives a Lexus. It’s hilariously accurate and has lots of subtle jokes you may miss if you’re not paying attention.

Episode I: Meet the Family

Episode II: Getting the Bird

The internet gives businesses the freedom to make these kinds of advertisements, and reach a huge audience with them. These ads seem fairly expensive, but if they succeed in rebranding Audi as the regular guy of the high end automobiles, while simultaneously rebranding BMW, Mercedes, and Lexus as the Douche, Old Man, and Wimp of the automotive world, respectively… then these commercials have paid for themselves many times over.

Audi sort of hints at this at the end of episode III when Jason says “I can’t let them win anymore” or something to that effect. This may mean Audi is ready to take the gloves off, so to speak. The automotive industry is financially tight right now, everyone is losing market share and money, so the peaceful “live and let live” atmosphere may be over for now. This may be the start of some attack style ads as companies start fighting over the very limited amount of consumer spending out there.

The BLIP FESTIVAL 2008 is a four-day (Dec 4-7) event showcasing nearly 40 musicians and visual artists in the lo-fi chipscene. It’s presented by the Manhattan art organization THE TANK and NYC artist collective 8BITPEOPLES.

The chipmusic phenomenon is like 8-bit punk. They essentially use old video game equipment and home computer hardware as musical instruments. The NES, Commodore 64, Atari ST, Nintendo Game Boy act as the lo-fit, low-res, high-impact electronic music makers.

It’s not nearly as big in the US as it is in the rest of the world; imagine lo-fi Europeans and outdated electronics and soldering irons and a fundamentally altered Gameboy in each hand. Ataris and Amigas and synthesizers and emulators.

Every generation has it’s intelligent music makers trying to say something new or make a point they think the mainstream is missing. The 8-bit drive of chipmusic is the same force that turned up the distortion and recorded on 8-tracks and innovated.

The scene is going to keep growing, especially with really well done, fitting ads like the one at the top of this post, done by Richard Alexander Caraballo (aka minusbaby) of 8BitPeoples and Stieg Retlin.