MAGnet #17 17/09/21

Magnet #17

It’s a packed one this week.

 Enjoy.

Technology

In partnership with eyewear brand Ray-Ban, Facebook  released its first pair of smart glasses, last week. The glasses offer wearers the ability to capture photos and videos without even needing to pull out their phone.

The glasses, called Ray-Ban Stories, are now available for 449 American Dollars and are  similar to devices already on the market, such as SnapChat Spectacles.

 They allow users to capture images and video and upload them to their social media accounts, via an app called Facebook Vie and users will be able to share content on Facebook and other Facebook-owned platforms, including Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, as well as non-Facebook apps such as Twitter, TikTok and SnapChat. Besides two 5-megapixel cameras, the glasses have three microphones and built-in speakers, so they can respond to voice commands and also be used for calls.

The glasses are the latest step in Facebook’s initiative to develop wearable tech.

 

Campaign for good: Black to Front

Channel 4’s commercial arm, 4Sales, will only broadcast adverts featuring either a Black lead character or a majority Black cast, to raise awareness and drive conversations around improving Black representation in advertising.

 Off-screen, The Black to Front Project is an opportunity to make a significant difference and increase the number of Black talent working behind the camera.

From flagship shows The Big Breakfast, Gogglebox and Channel 4 News to new commissions including scripted comedy Big Age, topical debate show Unapologetic, and docu-ality show Highlife, the programming will air on Channel 4, All 4, on their social media and also be reflected in their  adverts  and continuity announcers.

OOH campaigns: Diet coke x Smeg

There was surprise as bus shelter on Newgate Street in Newcastle City Centre was  transformed into a Diet Coke x SMEG fridge complete with its own signature handle. The fridge was a fully functional SMEG fridge stocked with cans of Diet Coke and QR Codes for passer-by’s  to enter the competition. People can also enter the competition by scanning the QR Code on promotional packs.

Such fridges have been appearing all across the UK in recent days with Manchester and London among other locations to feature.  

 The top Prize is the limited edition SMEG x Diet Coke fridge; a SMEG FAB10 model, and there was one  fridge to giveaway each day- 35 in total.

Social media campaigns: Twitch

ASOS recently launched their very first influencer campaign on Twitch in the UK. Across 3 months, the influencers participated in several live content pieces while promoting the ASOS brand. The ASOS ‘ASQUAD’ seamlessly blended with Twitch, fashion and gaming in a way that was seen to  successfully engage the Gen Z audience.

The Twitch/ASOS a-SQUAD crossover was a great concept; with over 100k views, it was an original way to showcase a brand, whilst being interactive for the audience.