Bert PerryAt smith&jones, we always try to keep up with the latest design and technologies that leading companies are using to push their brands. So when Communication Arts announced the winners from their Interactive Annual, we were excited to check it out. This year’s entries included websites, kiosks, CD-ROM projects and mobile devices.
An overall theme we noticed was more simplistic design and a bigger focus on delivering your message quickly. Video was used in various ways and sometimes even served as the main tool on the site to deliver a message. A good example of this is the US Air Force; they take you through a journey of the 8 weeks of Basic Training. You really get a feeling of what a new recruit will go through during training. The use of mobile apps also continues to grow as companies create useful tools for their consumers while still driving their brand. Take a look at Weber’s On The Grill iPhone App to see what I mean — this app is a must for grill experts. It has recipes, techniques and even allows you to create a grocery list – all right at your fingertips.
Most of the winners involved the audience and entertained them while reinforcing their brand or campaign. The “Get the Glass” is a good example of this using an interactive game to entertain while educating the user about the benefits of drinking more milk.
It is pretty clear that companies seem to putting more marketing dollars to web and interactive to reach their audiences and bring awareness to their brand than ever before as the trend shifts from print. I think the best thing about this year’s annual is that not only is it cool to see the latest technology that companies are using, but it’s nice to see it done in a useful way instead of just “using it to use it.” Let’s hope this trend continues.