Antoni Ooto / Night / Acrylic Paint and Paste on Canvas

No one does “moody” quite like my father.
My dad, Antoni Ooto, is the featured artist for OSKA’s 2012 Spring & Summer Collection in NYC (www.oska-newyork.com). OSKA is hosting an opening reception at the showroom next Thurs, May 24. Please join us if you’re in the area.

OOTO @ OSKA
Spring & Summer 2012 Opening Reception
Thursday May 24
6-8 pm
OSKA NYC
311 Columbus Avenue  NYC (at 75th St)
Upper West Side, Manhattan

OSKA New York - Spring / Summer 2012 Collection

OSKA New York - Spring / Summer 2012 Collection

You can view out other samples of Antoni’s work at www.ooto.org.

Antoni Ooto / C+ / Acrylic Paint and Paste on Canvas

Zola Jesus / "Night" / Soundcheck Sessions

An incredible live performance at the Blast House Studios in Madison, WI. The only person bringing it harder than Zola is the drummer. Shout out to the keyboardist for wearing tweed.

Apple Store - China

Public relations friend and brainstorming cohort Eban Howell sent over a great article on the AdAge Blog by Timothy Kane about major brands moving their marketing budgets from the standard advertising model to a new focus on PR and community building. And no, I don’t just mean social media. I’m talking about good old fashioned press – and events that actually mean something.

The line outside the Apple store isn’t because of advertising. It’s about good old fashioned PR.

Kane elaborates:

What do you see when you pass an Apple store on the day a new version of the iPhone or iPad goes on sale? A line of people, stretching down the block and around the corner. People wait all night for the doors to open. They can’t wait another day to get their hands on the newest Apple product.

Why? Because these products are the first of their kind? Not usually. Because they’re the most advanced? Maybe. Sometimes. The main reason they’re standing there is because they’re staunch members of Apple’s brand, joining in the 30-year conversation between Steve Jobs, his designers and us.

Big brands, and independents alike, get caught in the myth of overnight success because of a killer ad campaign. They forget that the public is fickle, that our memories are short. A great campaign will put you on our radar, but you’ll fall off the moment we’re no longer engaged.

PR is the art of remaining at the heart of the conversation.
It’s about sustaining a reputation for greatness. Branded storytelling builds off the same premise – that people respond to a larger story. They don’t just connect with a brand, they wish to inhabit its reality. That’s why they’re lining up around the block. Not to purchase a product, but to return to where they belong.

Read the complete article by Timothy Kane “It’s Time for Advertising to Take a Lesson (Gasp!) from Public Relations” >

Okay, so it was time I posted a transmedia case study of my own.
The Motorola & (RED)™ initiative is one of the first major cross-platform/branded entertainment campaigns I worked on. I partnered with the team at DRAFTFCB in New York in the spring of 2006 and committed the next year of my life helping to bring it to life. Here are a few of the highlights.

Motorola (RED) Online Experience

When Motorola came on board as the technology partner for Bono’s charitable (RED) initiative, they wanted to create a campaign that would inspire and educate consumers, compelling them to buy (RED) Motorola products to help eliminate AIDS in Africa.

To maximize the campaign’s reach, our team developed a year-long rollout of original content from around the world, including exclusive music and media downloads, videos, live events, and a rich online experience.

To kick things off, we hosted a flash-concert by The Scissor Sisters, one of our many (RED) collaborators, in London’s Trafalgar Square. The event was a huge success, bringing a wealth of media attention, viral social shares and word-of-mouth around Motorola and the (RED) initiative.

One of the most popular elements of the campaign was the interactive calculator we created that allowed (RED) consumers to see how much of a difference they were making in the lives of those in need.

To try it for yourself: Click the calculator image below. When the site loads, go to CONNECT WITH (RED) > SEE THE IMPACT.

The initiative ranks up there with some the most rewarding experiences in my life.
It was incredible to see a campaign directly improve people’s lives. And at the same time proving the profitability and sustainability of a completely new business model: for-profit humanitarian aid.

“(RED) has been a big success… $47MM dollars goes into the Global Fund after our first year… We want [companies] to make profit on this, because it makes it sustainable.” – Bono in an interview with Brian Williams for NBC Nightly News

And that was just the beginning.
The breadth of the campaign, and the collaboration with artists from around the world, set the gears in motion for an idea that would become my first transmedia book, Two Blue Wolves.

Two Blue Wolves & Nightwork – Sparrow Hall

"Happy Birthday David" / Prometheus - Transmedia Storytelling Marketing Campaign

Is there anything spookier than a robot with tears in his eyes?

I’m continually impressed by the transmedia storytelling marketing campaign for the upcoming film, Prometheus – a prequel to Alien.

Here’s a video that just launched that provides a creepy backstory to David, a humanoid robot and central character played by Michael Fassbender.

If you haven’t already – check out the brilliant co-branded video they did with TED. Set in the year 2023. See it here >