VB&P Creates An Effective Video To Demo The Google and Audi Collaboration.

VB&P (Venables Bell & Partners) has launched a clever and effective new piece for not one, but two of their clients: Google and Audi.




They've teamed up for a video that highlights the fact that Google Maps now powers the maps in Audi's navigation systems. A brief film (shown below) with a dash of product demo, the video follows an Audi A4 as it makes its way through the streets of San Francisco as seen in the frozen worlds of Google Earth and Street View. The couple behind the wheel make a handful of stops before heading to their final destination: their own impromptu wedding at Muir Beach. Oh, and about those pit stops: you can't have a wedding without something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.



Setting the story within the iconic worlds of Google Earth and Street View wasn't just a technique. Audi's Google Maps-powered navigation system uses Google Earth, Street View, and Local Search to create an immersive and intelligent driving experience. And as our video shows, navigation isn't just about getting from point A to point B. It's about creating the perfect journey.

Credits:
CLIENT NAME: Google
BRAND: Maps
SPOT NAME: “Maps World”
AIR DATE: 01.19.13
AGENCY: Venables Bell & Partners
EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Paul Venables and Will McGinness
ART DIRECTOR: Brad Kayal
COPYWRITER: Brad Phifer
DIRECTOR OF INTEGRATED PRODUCTION: Craig Allen
AGENCY PRODUCER: Mandie Bowe
PRODUCTION COMPANY: LOGAN
DIRECTOR: Eric Anderson
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Jordan Levy
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Matthew Marquis
PRODUCER: Rich Kaylor
EDITING COMPANY: LOGAN
EDITOR: Jay Rogers
SOUND DESIGN: 740 Sound Design & Mix
SOUND DESIGNERS: Andrew Tracy, Nicholas Interlandi
MUSIC: Black Iris
MIX: 740 Sound Design & Mix
V/FX: LOGAN
V/FX PRODUCER: Matthew Loranger

all info courtesy of VB&P

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Arek advertising, automotive news, automotive technology, cars, google, google news, googlemaps, marketing, short film, technology, video

Countdown to Christmas Eve With Google's New Santa Tracker, Chrome App and Interactive Website.

For the past few years I have been writing posts about Norad's Santa Tracker (once a partner of Google's) and how it works as a nice online activity to enjoy with your children and friends. Now that Microsoft's Bing has partnered with Norad, Google has gone all out and created their own Google Maps' Santa Tracker and until it launches on Christmas Eve, you can explore a fun interactive animated site with plenty of games and goodies or download a Google Chrome app for added entertainment.




above: screen grabs of the Village briefing and windtunnel

Santa’s many developer elves, who are hard at work in the North Pole helping Santa prepare for his big day, have combined their elf magic with the latest and greatest in Google Maps technology and sleigh engineering to allow you to follow his progress around the world, and also learn a little about some of his stops along the way.


above: a sneak preview of the Google Santa Tracker which launches on Christmas Eve.

Even without using Google chrome as your browser, you can enjoy the following at the Google Santa Tracker Site:

•Create a Custom Phone Call from Santa in the form of an mp3 file you can send to your friends (This is really cool. It takes a few minutes to make the first one, but it's worth it.)



•You (or your kids) can play one of three games that operates with your keyboard.

Present Drop:


Village Racer:


Jetpack:


If you use Google Chrome, you can download the app and enjoy even more fun like a dashboard tracker, play around with Santa's blimp or elf bus and write messages on a frosty browser window.




•You can Follow Santa on Google+

The friendly elves have also invited you to explore Santa’s village while Santa gets ready for his journey. So go ahead and explore his village, you might just find some fun activities and meet some interesting elves.

The Google Maps Santa Tracker is created and developed by Google, with a little help from Santa’s elves. Need help or have another question? Visit their Help Center to learn more about Santa Tracker.

Related links:

• Google Santa Tracker Android app
• Google Santa Tracker for Google Chrome
• Google Santa Tracker on Google+
• Google Maps on Facebook
• Google Maps on Twitter

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Arek animation, children, fun online application, fun sites, google, google news, googlemaps, interactive, interactive website, kids, online apps, technology, web design

Capturing Toy Soldiers With Mini Blue Helmets All Over The World.

The engaging interactive Miniscule Blue Helmets on a Massive Quest was spearheaded by designer Pierre Derks, a project which has also spawned a new book.



Starting in the Hague in Holland, the task engaged people all over the world to shoot photos of 50,000 little plastic toy soldiers wearing hand-painted blue helmets, hats or berets from over 60 global locations. The blue helmets and berets are a nod to the colored helmets worn by the UN Peacekeepers.






The mass manifestation of the Miniscule Blue Helmets in public space implies that the potential of getting confronted with a heavily armed blue helmeted soldier is within reach of a global audience. Although it is obvious that the encounter is rather different from running into a real-life UN Blue Helmet [shown below], it might just trigger the same questions and feelings about their presence and deployment.




The photos, shot by varying individuals, are then uploaded to a global Google map with a geo tag so you can access where the image was shot and by whom.



The Mini Blue Soldiers Google map can be viewed as either terrain or satellite:


Click upon the icon of the little blue helmets on the google map and you'll get the location, the name of the photographer and the opportunity to view the photograph.



There's no end to the places these little soldiers have been captured. From inside a little apartment in Amsterdam:

to on the ledge of the Grand Canyon:


Eyewitnesses of the quest have submitted hundreds of photos like the ones shown below:








The Book:


Miniscule Blue Helmets on a Massive Quest, the Book by Pierre Derks

“Tiny in size, huge in scope”

The book ‘Miniscule Blue Helmets on a Massive Quest’ by Pierre Derks shows the worldwide intervention of 50,000 plastic toy soldiers with blue hand-painted helmet, beret or hat by means of 500 selected photo's of the mini Blue Helmets on locations in more than 60 countries. An international spectrum of specialists shares in the book their reflections on the project and their expertise on topics that are related.

The book contains text contributions (written in English) by: Susan Manuel, Roger Stahl, Jonathan Vickery, Patrick M. Regan, Jos Morren, Linda Polman, Matt Groff, Christ Klep en Damon Stanek.

The open nature of the project has led to a fascinating variety of outcomes that contributed to the layered meaning. An example is the adoption of the project by Dutch Blue Helmet veterans who took part in the UN mission in Lebanon (70's / 80's). Jos Morren (Association of dutch military war and service victims): “Frank bought 2,000 of those little green men and painted the helmets blue himself, constantly carrying them with him and leaving them in tactical spots. (...) Eric took it more slow, but became inseparable from his one Miniscule Blue Helmet. Very handy, because if you lose touch with the world because of a psychological blockade, you just put your little buddy on the table. Very effective in such a situation. Out of the blue, those boys were suddenly given a healthy, creative form of self medication, through the art of Derks.”

Order the book here

The publication is made possible with the support of Fonds BKVB (The Netherlands Foundation for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture). The project expanded in collaboration with LhGWR and the TodaysArt Festival.

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Arek art, art photography, books, chris collicott toy soldier, consumer generated content, global, google, googlemaps, interactive website, photography