The Power of Being Brave

This article has been sitting in my hard-drive since early 2008.

In 2008, it was inspiration for the founding of grain&pixel, where we started from ground zero with little track-record, breaking into a niche that didn’t quite exist. All we had was the hope that advertisers would embrace the idea of being different, taking risk & being brave.

Through the journey, we’ve seen our share of detractors raining our parade, (who were thankfully not our clients but internal ones) but we persevered.

Fast forward to 2010, we’re proud to be able to validate the article. True brand leaders like Nokia, MasterCard, Hewlett-Packard, Diageo (Johnnie Walker), Diet Coke, OPSM, Sunglass Hut, Microsoft (Xbox) took the leap of faith with us in creating revolutionary activations using cutting edge technologies. Grain&Pixel created many media firsts all over the world. We’re immensely proud (& grateful) of our clients who had the courage to step out of convention.

ThePowerofBeingBrave

Mirror mirror on the wall…

It’s only Tuesday and it’s seems like a such a long way to go till Friday….don’t you sometimes wish you could be magically transported away from the daily grind & be whisked off to a fairy tale place?

This Harry Porter magic mirror does just that. Pretty neat way of using Augmented Reality.

Now how do we convince our bosses to install them in our restrooms….

Sending a little sunshine along your way

It’s been a really wet & rainy year so far. With Sydney getting record rain levels (2 straight weeks of rain & more rain has been a real spirit damper!) and Singapore’s recent shocking floods at their main shopping district Orchard Road, I think we’re in need of a little sunshine.

And so you have it, here’s sending you some sunshine that works at night even!

More projection mapping, another beautifully executed show

Ok so, I’m going through a phase now with projection mapping on objects. It’s just so mesmerizing to watch static objects & products come alive with beautifully projected imageries. The creative possibilities are endless with projection mapping. Contact us if you’d like to know more.

Here’s another example:

MasterCard shows who’s the master with Singapore’s first AR campaign

grain&pixel is excited to have been integral in helping MasterCard launch Singapore’s first augmented reality campaign. A bus shelter along the shopping district, Orchard road, was converted into a high tech interactive zone. Commuters were able to flash & use any MasterCard on the screen to navigate  and explore the various privileges MasterCard offers. To add abit of cheekiness, when the user flashes a non-Mastercard (eg. Diners) the screen would display a “technical error” message asking the user to “upgrade” his credit card.

See link

Great idea, beautiful ride: VW Tiguan

In my last post, I featured building projection mapping & Auto brands. It seems like projection mapping on buildings are becoming more & more common, technology has gone a step further with mapping on the product itself.

This is one beautifully executed piece by VW for the VW Tiguan (i LOVE that car!):

Well done VW.

Doesn’t this look familiar?!

Let’s play a “spot the difference” game.

Now have a look at this BMW video (done in May 2010)

and then have a look at the Volvo one (done in 2009)

While I applaud BMW (singapore) for jumping on the 3D technology bandwagon, with a building projection that’s been technically well executed.

But is it me or does the BMW content & concept look extremely similar to Volvo’s?  The hands, the 3D tiles, the reference to “life’s ideals” etc

Pretty surprising for a brand like BMW who prides itself as being a cutting edge leader in terms of design & technology. As a consumer & a BMW fan, it’s really troubling to watch a BMW ad and think “Omg, BMW’s trying to be a Volvo!” *shudder*

I guess this could be a case of the agency using technology for technology sake. A little bit more imagination & originality would’ve gone a long way on this one.