Google's Real Time Search

There's been talk and speculation for quite some time now, and various blogs and news services have "leaked" information about Google's next 'big thing', Real Time Search. For those of you perched on the edges of your seat for the last year or so, good news, you can now sit back and relax. Not only is it solid news but it is coming straight from the horses mouth.

Google has launched Real Time Search integrated into its search results pages. Now you can use Google to see real-time updates of various things happening around the Web, including tweets, Yahoo Answers, news articles and Web pages. What's also pretty cool is that this will also work mobiles (well, iPhone and Android anyway).

For many, however, the real use of Real Time Search comes through in Social Media. Thankfully Google has confirmed that deals have been signed with Facebook and MySpace to allow Google to pull in live data. For Facebook this will be limited to public Facebook Pages (though that's still excellent news for businesses and brands using the platform). For MySpace it will cover any data stream that is publicly available.

All of this is of course on top of the partnership that Google went into in October with Twitter.

For an example of Google Real Time Search just click here. Alternatively Google have also created this video to show how it will all work.

Sony to Show World Cup Matches in 3D

Sony has announced that they will be using next year's World Cup to showcase their new 3D television technology. To do this, Sony have agreed to film as many as 25 of the tournaments matches using 3D cameras. Sony will then screen these games in seven cities, including London, Paris and Berlin. These special showcases will be called Fan Fests and will be hosted by Fifa. Sony has also said it will be demonstrating the technology in its stores.

Fujio Nishida, president of Sony Europe, said: "3D will undoubtedly transform the way we enjoy content in the living room."

Following this news, announced their own plans for the launch of a 3D channel next year.

Starbucks (RED) Love Project

Last Friday Brand Republic reported that Starbucks will be running the world's biggest Facebook ad campaign ever. The campaign is Starbucks (RED) Love Project

The campaign aimed to bring the world together to sing about the one thing we all have in common; love. People from all over the world were able to log on to the campaign microsite and sing-along to The Beatles, All You Need is Love, on 7th December 7. The global karaoke is part of Starbucks efforts to help fight AIDS in Africa. The campaign microsite also allows you to watch streaming videos of everyone who submitted a video of their contribution. There is also a gallery of drawings that people submitted to the Love Gallery. For each drawing or video added, up to one million, Starbucks and (RED) donated five cents to the Global Fund.

The is the campaign promotional video:


On Saturday over 16 countries saw Facebook ads go live for the advertising campaign to promote the microsite, including the US, UK, Canada, Turkey, France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Ireland, Brazil, Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Indonesia. For the two days, every user logging on to Facebook for the first five times would have seen the ad.

Planet Hollywood 'Phamous' Flash Mob

At the end of Novemeber over the Thanksgiving weekend, the Planet Hollywood marketing department and Shay Carl got together at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas to organise a flash mob. The flash mob was produced by Midi Mafia and based around a choreographed dance to their song "Phamous".

Vlogger and comedian Shay Carl, took part in the flash mob and was joined by YouTube celebrities KassemG, Lisa Nova, MysteryGuitarMan, Denise Vlogs, Rawn and a variety of other dancers and performers. None of the employees on duty at the time had any knowledge of the stunt.

This is the video...




Directed by: Justin Purser (website & twitter)
Produced by: Christian Heuer (website & twitter)
Choreogrophy by: Kris Mohfanz (website & twitter)

Carlsberg: The Secret

Yesterday saw the launch of the latest Carlsberg ad for the Irish market, but this was no ordinary ad launch. Not only does the new ad, "The Secret", move away from the style of advertising that we'd all be used to with the premium larger brand, but the ad was premiered on Facebook.

The ad aims to highlight the secret of Carlsberg’s brewing success, celebraing the fact that Carlsberg are responsible for perfecting the secret of brewing consistently quality lager. As the ad tells us, back in 1883 Professor Emil Chr. Hansen discovered the method of isolating pure yeast culture. The resulting yeast was called saccharoymces carslbergensis - the secret of Carlsberg’s brewing success. First to isolate pure yeast, and with a discovery that would revolutionise the brewing industry, Carlsberg didn’t keep its findings to itself but rather shared its knowledge with other master brewers. It still forms the basis of all lager brewing today!

And why give it away? Because Carlsberg knew that the original could not be beaten.

The ad itself mirrors more of a Guinness style ad, with huge production value and stunning creative. The story follows a horseman’s epic journey as he races across 19th century Europe, delivering the newly discovered brewing yeast from Carlsbergs to a rival brewer. This epic quest is brought to life in something more akin to a Hollywood blockbuster then a tv ad. It is simply stunning.

The ad was developed by Peter Owens Advertising and directed by Johnny Green. It was produced by Knucklehead and post produced by Framestore. The music for the ad was specially composed by Paul Raeburn.

Speaking of the new advertisement, Justine Donohoe, Marketing Manager, Carlsberg said, “This is an epic dramatisation of a true story, which gives consumers another reason to believe why Carlsberg is probably the best lager in the world!”




Interesting Carlsberg facts you may not have known...

• Carlsberg’s process to isolate a single pure yeast culture was verified in person by Louis Pasteur who visited the Carlsberg lab on a number of occasions. Pasteur had a history in this area having worked on a similar process with the wine industry & written a book on beer – ‘Etudes des biers’
• Carlsberg developed the ph scale
• Carlsberg developed the method for calculating the protein content of substances ranging from foodstuffs to fertiliser and fossil fuels. The Kjeldahl method, was developed in the Carlsberg labs by Johann Kjeldahl, head of Chemistry, and is still the standard method used worldwide today
• Carlsberg pioneered steam brewing & refrigeration techniques
• Carlsberg founder, JC Jacobsen (1811-1887) and his son Carl (1842-1914) made an immense contribution to the architecture and cultural life of Copenhagen, and inspired the construction of many monuments and buildings including; The Little Mermaid, the Danish Museum of Art and Design and the impressive Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, which houses one of the largest collections of antique art in Northern Europe
• Carlsberg is run by a Foundation - One of the first acts of the Carlsberg Foundation was to fund the rebuilding of Frederiksborg Castle and establish the Danish National History Museum
• Each part of the Carlsberg logo, designed by Thorvald Bindesbøll in 1904 for the launch of Carlsberg pilsner, is constructed from the body part of an elephant!