Generating extra buzz around marketing campaigns worldwide is 3D projection mapping, a relatively new technology that animates stationary objects with 3D video. With added sound effects and music, the result is a remarkable and immersive experience.
“Projection mapping can provide a great double whammy if used right, because you get a great live event, followed by a compelling video and PR opportunities. But, if that’s the aim it’s important to think about the film when planning the projection — the sense of scale you get live won’t be replicated on YouTube,” cautions Matt Smith, director of strategy for The Viral Factory.
“Good camera work, slick editing, and a rocking soundtrack will all help drive the film, but if the projection is too detailed it will still get lost.”
So, while we wait to see if this a temporary craze or soon to become standard in the marketeer’s toolbox, take a look through our gallery of great examples of such projections on buildings. This list is by no means exhaustive, so please let us know about any impressive versions you’ve seen in the comments below.
1. Samsung 3D Projection
Samsung’s whimsical projection to promote its 3D TV products works well.
2. Vienna 3D Building Projection
Vienna’s Tourist Board gets in on the 3D projection action with this classy effort.
3. NuFormer
Sony turned two buildings into giant football-themed pinball machines in Madrid. The spectacle was watched by around 1500 people on the day, and by nearly 20,000 more since.
4. 3D Projection Mapped on Building
A perfectly synced soundtrack helps the effect as this building sings to the transfixed audience.
5. Hot Wheels Secret Race Battle
Customs House in Sydney, Australia gets virtually wrecked by Mattel’s “Hot Wheels Skull Racers.”
6. 3D Projection Mapping
The lucky residents of Sugarland, Texas got to witness this spectacle live on New Year’s Eve 2010.
7. 555 KUBIK
This arty German projection imagines “how it would be, if a house was dreaming”.
8. ACDC vs Iron Man 2
ACDC go up against Iron Man on the backdrop of front facade of the Great Keep at Rochester Castle.
9. BMW JOY 3D
BMW uses not one, but two office buildings in Singapore with its joy-themed projection.
10. Projection Mapping on the Kharkov State Building
You can hardly imagine a more impressive backdrop for a 3D projection than the Kharkov state building in the Ukraine. The building’s architectural features are used to great effect in this brilliant example.
Clay McDaniel is the principal and co-founder of social media marketing agency Spring Creek Group. Find him via @springcreekgrp on Twitter.
Do you remember life before Evite, Facebook Events, and Eventbrite? Handwritten paper invitations and RSVP phone calls seem like relics of a forgotten age. The web has dramatically changed the way people plan special occasions. Social media is making it easier than ever before to plan, promote, and execute a wide range of events from industry conferences, client events and partner symposiums, to large social gatherings and charity events. What’s more, social media allows you to solicit feedback and extend the life of your event by inviting attendees to connect via online communities before and afterward.
Whether you just want to generate a bit of buzz or instead have specific goals to increase ticket sales and attract top speakers and attendees, social media can make the planning process smoother by leveraging digital word-of-mouth. Here are eight tips for best results.
1. Establish Your Event-Related Channels
The months and weeks before your event is a critical promotional period. Use every social media channel at your disposal to get the word out about your event, and encourage people to share information on the event in return for small rewards. For example: “Share this event with 20 friends for 10% off your admission.” Start by creating an event page on Facebook and an event hashtag on Twitter, then create an event blog where you’ll post updates about it (new speakers, registration discounts, etc.). Make sure your Twitter hashtag is specific to your event or organization, without being too long.
Once you’ve created these pre-event social links, populate them with lots of content. If it’s a social event, post video or music clips, create a pre-event contest, or connect event-goers through socializing and games. For a social or community event, content should be engaging, fun, and shareable in order to drive word-of-mouth interest. If the event is more corporate in nature, offer fans and followers sneak peeks at topics to be discussed, or special pre-conference articles and presentations.
2. Provide Incentivized Word-Of-Mouth Promotions
Make sure that everyone who follows or likes your event on Twitter and Facebook is rewarded for their interest. Offer fans and followers special discounts or content. To incentivize people to register for the event, offer them early-bird discounts, invites to pre-event parties, or other rewards. If you really want to boost the power of word-of-mouth, you can use tools like Meteor Solutions to identify your key influencers, then actively motivate and reward them for sharing information about your contest.
3. Make Registration Social
Don’t forget to use a social registration service like EventBrite, which not only makes registration easier and more streamlined, but allows attendees to share their event activity with friends. Other popular social event invitation platforms include Plancast and Twtvite. Most of these services are highly integrated with social networking platforms and can be configured with user caps and privacy options.
4. Use Location-Based Services and Checkin Rewards
Geo-location sites let you set up a page with rewards including badges, coupons, specials, or gifts. These location based services are easily integrated with other social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, so checkins will be shared with larger networks. When attendees come to your event, you can reward them for checking in at different stations, panels, or activities. Rewards such as free ice cream, a gift card, or other small incentives can be redeemed after the show.
5. Bring your Event to Life With Twitter
Using social media during an event can mean the difference between a flat, boring affair and one where attendees are engaged and excited. But too much real-time social interaction can also derail the main presentations or talks.
First and foremost, encourage attendees to tweet during the event using the established hashtag. An active Twitter stream during your event not only engages participants in real time but also allows people who could not attend to get a feel for the sessions and topics being discussed. Some event organizers set up a huge screen behind speakers to display hashtagged tweets in real time. But again, this “backchannel” can backfire if the tweets become negative or go off-topic. All that interaction can derail speakers as they try to respond in real-time to all the “interference.”
6. Include Non-Attendees
Don’t forget to set up a livestream during the event using Facebook or UStream so fans can follow along online. Facebook enables you to store this stream so that people can watch it after the event proper. You can also create a YouTube channel for the event to post videos before, during, and after. Encourage non-attendees to ask questions through Twitter or Facebook during the event and answer them live.
7. Post-Mortem: Extend the Shelf Life of Your Event
Your event doesn’t have to end the day it’s over. Social media can keep the momentum going for many weeks and months afterwards. On your blog, post a “wrap up” of all the key highlights. You can add links to presentations, key learnings, and other downloadable documents. Of course, you’ll want to post photos on the blog and on Facebook, and continue tweeting about the event even after it’s over. You can post thoughts, ideas, or links to longer articles that might be of interest to those who attended.
Another great way to keep your event from fading fast from people’s memories is to create ways for attendees and other interested parties to continue socializing, discussing, or debating topics covered there. Do whatever you can to keep the conversation alive.
8. Use Social Media Metrics to Measure Success
Consider using online surveys to ask attendees for feedback on panels, venue, speakers, topics, and other facets of the event. Facebook polls are fun, easy ways to get quick responses and feedback from attendees. Be prepared for honesty. If someone has a negative comment to share, make sure to address their comment or concern and store the information to improve next year’s event. Lastly, pull total social media stats from sites like Search.Twitter.com and Social Mention, or set up Google Alerts ahead of time. If the results are positive, don’t be shy about publicizing some of these metrics to highlight the reach and impact your event had.
Interested in more Social Media resources? Check out Mashable Explore, a new way to discover information on your favorite Mashable topics.
With warmer weather on the horizon and our last tshirt roundup a little way back, we thought it was high time we took another look at the casual clothing genre from a geeky perspective.
We’ve found 10 top tees that will emblazon your geekiness across your chest like some kind of nerd badge of honor. We’ve got fresh options for Googlophiles, fanboys, net-lovers, followers of pop culture, Foursquare-lovers and more.
Have a wander through the gallery and let us know in the comments below which garment-of-geek you’d consider donning this season, as well as any others you’ve seen of late that are worth a mention.
Jeff Galinovsky is regional manager for Intel’s classmate PC in North America where he focuses on expanding education products as well as building an education ecosystem. You can follow him on Twitter at @ClassmatePCDude.
Most of us didn’t have today’s technology options when we were in school, so while parents realize technology has become an integral part of their child’s education, they’re sometimes finding it difficult to incorporate it into the learning process.
It’s much more than choosing the right hardware (desktop, iPad, netbook, etc.). Parents need to consider several other factors: Appropriate software, interactive e-reading programs, how to educate children about online safety when exploring social media, and how to integrate technology into the current curriculum.
However, technology is important in today’s world and taking a comprehensive approach to technology education will ensure that children thrive in the modern education system and in the jobs of the future. Here are five tips for streamlining the process.
1. Get the Wiggles Out
Take learning out of and beyond the classroom. Children learn in a multimodal manner -– they want to be able to touch and hear and see things up close. Netbooks or laptops that feature tools like a camera, writing stylus and audio recording capabilities help to encourage a multimodal approach to learning. The more learning modes (auditory, visual, and experiential) that are exercised, the more likely the material they are learning is likely to stay with them long-term.
Use tools and devices that help kids feel comfortable in their spaces and get them up and moving around when it’s appropriate. This can keep kids focus while making the lessons more interesting and exciting. For example, in a field trip to the Central Park Zoo in New York, a group of fifth graders measured the temperature and humidity in the Tropical Zone, drew penguins and built robots — all using tools and software integrated and available on their convertible tablet netbooks.
2. Make Topics Real and Applicable
Rote memorization is not always the best approach for teaching kids. It’s important to demonstrate how subjects like math and science are important and exciting outside of the classroom and in the real world. Having access to real-world examples can help bring tough subjects to life in new ways. Learning math is more fun and easier when fractions are part of a cooking recipe, for example.
In my daughter’s fifth grade science class, she developed an experiment to determine if she could generate electricity with a soda and Mentos reaction, using a convertible netbook and equipment from Pasco to test her hypothesis. She only became that excited about science once she got hands-on and explored things that were interesting to her. She told me at the end of last year that she really loved science. You don’t often hear that from tween girls these days, do you?
3. Give Kids a Sense of Ownership
Technology opens up opportunities for kids to really take ownership of their own educations and to be a part of the process. With 1:1 learning devices, learning becomes about students and their needs. This can mean more engaged learners with pride in their work and what they are learning about. According to a recent study by Project RED on the key technology factors for student achievement, a strong student/computer ratio is tied to improved test scores and graduation rates. Kids like to move around, so if you’re worried about the device taking a beating, look for netbooks or laptops that are rugged and offer some waterproof resistance.
4. Facilitate Self-Paced Learning
Everyone learns at a different pace, and in a different way. Some kids do well when given a task and a deadline and then set free; others need more guidance and time. Technology allows parents and teachers to provide the right amount of discipline for each student individually, and to supplement where necessary. It also allows students to learn at their own pace, which can help keep them interested and excited about the material.
One example is McGraw-Hill’s LEAD21 reading program, which offers a personalized and interactive experience for various reading levels. It can adjust vocabulary, concepts, word counts, font size and spacing for different grade and age levels.
5. Create a Safe Environment to Explore
When left on their own, kids can independently explore, discover, and make learning more exciting for themselves. However, just as you want to make sure your children are safe playing in the neighborhood, you need to teach them about Internet safety. It’s important to warn about predators, inappropriate material and mature content, but hovering over them to ensure they are safe will only stifle them.
Look for built-in safety tools in computers that allow parents to ensure that kids access approved sites and content. Parents can choose when, where and what they want their children to access. According to a recent survey on kids and Internet safety, 68% of teens have at some point accepted Facebook friend requests from people they don’t know, opening the door to sharing personal information — like where they live — with strangers.
My 11-year-old daughter started a Twitter account unbeknownst to me. I am not ready for my 11-year-old to be plugged into the social web. When I found out that she had an account, I logged into her netbook and started using a monitoring software product. I could confirm that she did start a Twitter account and was sending messages to someone she thought was Joe Jonas of the Jonas Brothers.
This tool allowed me to validate the problem and to have a web safety conversation with my daughter. The software allows her to have freedom, and me to have peace of mind. We have been able to discuss what is good and real on the net and what is not.
What are your tips to integrating tech and education? How do you balance freedom and supervision? Let us know in the comments below.
This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.
Showing people what a product does is a better way to catch their attention than telling them about it. Car salesmen encourage test drives, ice cream stores give out free samples, and I’d be willing to bet that few people purchase a Hanger Cascader without watching the infomercial first.
Your digital product is also more appealing when demonstrated. And the most affordable way to show people what your software does, even if you’re also offering a free trial, is often to produce a short screencast. These five free tools can help you get started.
Screenr helps share your screencast videos over Twitter. After you make up to a five-minute-long screencast using the simple web tool, a shortened link to the video is automatically provided. You can add a message and post the video link to your feed with the push of a button. There are also options to post to YouTube or embed the video in your site.
While other screencast tools, like Jing (see below), have Twitter sharing options, Screenr distinguishes itself by also creating a YouTube-like profile for each user. All of your videos are saved on your profile, and a public feed of other users’ videos makes for interesting browsing. If you like an idea that you see, you can click the maker’s profile photo to see other videos they’ve uploaded.
Basic, free screencapture software programs, like Wink, do a pretty decent job at creating videos, but few of them include features that allow you to add text easily. Overstream allows you to pull a video from a supported site like YouTube or Google Video and add your own subtitles to it.
CaptionTube is another free captioning web app that you can use your Google account to log into.
Downloading Jing puts a sun-shaped icon in the upper-righthand corner of your monitor. When you want to grab either a screenshot or a screencast, hitting the icon opens up a tool that you use to mark the perimeter of your shot and start recording. If you’re recording a screencast, audio will automatically be recorded.
You can choose to upload videos to screencast.com, which is run by the same company. Once you’ve done so, it’s easy to share the provided URL or embed the video in your site. Alternatively, you can customize share buttons on your Jing dashboard for sharing directly to Twitter, Facebook and Flickr.
The free version of Jing records in SWF format. Jing pro subscribers can record in SWF or MPEG-4 video, make unbranded videos, record from their webcams and upload videos directly to YouTube.
Unlike most free options, GoView provides some editing capabilities. After you record your screencast and audio using the downloaded screen capture software, you can cut portions out and add title pages. Saved videos are automatically uploaded to the GoView site, and links are provided for easy sharing.
The software is free for now while the product is in public beta. But unfortunately, its early stage of development also means that it’s available on only Windows XP and Vista operating systems.
The free version of Screencast-o-Matic captures screencasts, audio and video from your webcam at the same time without downloading any software. Finished videos, which can be up to 15 minutes long, can be exported as MP4, AVI or FLV files, uploaded to YouTube, or saved to the Screencast-o-Matic site. A note-taking option can be used to link directly to a specific moment in your video.
Videos made using the free version have a “Screencast-o-Matic” watermark on them that can only be removed by ponying up $9 to download the pro version.
Interested in more Social Media resources? Check out 
Take learning out of and beyond the classroom. Children learn in a 
