What Apple should have announced
The new iPhone 5S and downmarket iPhone 5C, announced Tuesday, failed to impress many in the mobile industry, including the Toronto mobile shop Xtreme Labs, which posted a blog suggestions for more innovative products and features the company could have released in lieu of the two new phones. Among its suggestions are phones in a variety of sizes, a customizable interface and an “Apple Everywhere” TV offering to rival Google’s Chromecast.
[Read more via Xtreme Labs]
EA releases campaign for FIFA 14
EA has rolled out the campaign for its latest soccer gaming, FIFA 14. Created by Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam, the ‘We Are FIFA 14’ spot has already racked up almost 2.5 million views on YouTube, but it’s hard not to notice the current top comment: “Hmm reminds me of Fifa 13… and Fifa 12… and Fifa 11 and 10 for that matter.” Guess the commenter didn’t notice this year’s ad campaign features Drake, man.
[Watch on YouTube]
Hubspot CMO says ad tech is “living in the past”
Despite the boom in ad technology, one marketer claims the way the industry currently serves online ads is wrong headed – not to mention dated. Mike Volpe, CMO of the inbound marketing company software, says that despite the industry’s efforts to target the right consumers, it’s still serving them ads they don’t want to see. The future of digital marketing, he claims, is about attracting consumers, not interrupting them.
[Read more via ClickZ]
OMD hosted an upfront for branded content
On Tuesday OMD hosted an upfront style presentation for branded content, bringing together big brands like Clorox, FedEx, Lowe’s, McDonald’s and content creators like DreamWorks, Maker Studios and Viacom. The event was set up in the style of an auction, with marketer holder up “plan” for projects they liked and “brief” for the duds. (They had us at paddles.)
[Read more via the New York Times]
Jack Astor’s has kids critique its menu
To celebrate the launch of its new kids menu, the Canadian restaurant chain invited a group of pint sized critics to taste test its latest offering. The resulting video shows, unsurprisingly, that chicken nuggets are a big hit with the Dora the Explorer demo. Click through for cuts of kids putting their tiny two thumbs up for the creamy pasta and some adorable one-tooth smiles.
[Watch on YouTube]
Jab at Hugo Boss gets Russell Brand booted from sponsored party
As the saying goes, don’t bite the hand that feeds, or, in this case, the brand that buys the booze. Comedian Russell Brand got the boot from the GQ Awards afterparty after making a quip on stage about the event’s headlining sponsor, Hugo Boss. Brand then took to Twitter to defend the joke, about the label dressing Nazis in the 1930s (an obvious sore spot for the company). Not a good look for either party.
[Read more via the National Post]
