A few years back we wrote an article for Creativity Online titled “Just Imagine if Advertising Were Likeable“, in which we envisioned a not-too-distant future where irrelevant and interruptive brand messages were replaced by relevant and attractive advertising. In that kind of world people would not only willingly accept branded experiences, they would actively seek them out.

Today, more and more brands and marketers are getting the real value of this approach, and are working hard to capture their audience’s imaginations rather than just their eyeballs.

Our new creation for Swisscom and Heimat Berlin, All Eyes on S4, is the latest example. When is the last time you remember seeing a line this long waiting to look at a normal outdoor billboard (below)? But this is the scene in Lausanne today, with a sizeable crowd waiting for hours to try their hand (or eyes) at the Swisscom challenge. A film of the experience, released on YouTube less than a week ago, has already earned more than 2.3 million views.

Make it interesting, and people will respond!

(Editor’s Note: PF Technologist Mikael Palm took part in this year’s Adobe MAX conference from May 4-8. When he got back he sent out the briefest little wisp of an email covering his learnings from the show. Seriously, it was a tome – a very interesting tome – and we thought Micke’s takeaways were so useful it was only right to share them. So without further ado, Micke take it away!)

To the Fools:

Here comes a mixed list of goodies and pictures from the Adobe MAX event. It was a fun but intense week. Almost no sleep at all. But hey it’s like home :) Sessions all day, and then the partying… (Read networking)… Apologies for typos and short language and stuff like that.

Creative Cloud. Everyone should/will run Adobe productions on a subscription basis with Creative Cloud starting soon. Next batch of software will hence be called for example Photoshop CC and so on.

I would so love to see some more enterprise solutions. Like the cloud solutions but on custom-hosted servers. (Keep assets local – and get all the CC goodies). Without this we will miss out on a lot of great/neat features.

Adobe goes hardware with its new Pen (Project Mighty) connected to your Cloud account (It knows your stuff. Brushes, Settings and clipboards…). And “Napoleon” the ruler (it’s a short ruler :)

Pen is shown in action here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KstD0WZ55I8.
Napoleon shows up at about 02:48.

And then the next hardware stuff is basically for News/Magazine agencies, Minority Report style. View/Edit publications live on a display instead of posting all pages on paper. Found a session on it. http://tv.adobe.com/watch/max-2013/a-year-before-the-max-keynote-envisioning-the-context-project/

More than I list here is available at http://tv.adobe.com/.

I’m going to namedrop and list random stuff here as they appear in my head :)

Like what’s new in the Creative Cloud solution. (A LOT).
http://www.adobe.com/se/products/creativecloud.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrKzhpgpIGI&list=PLD8AMy73ZVxXRHZvcj5WvsMopeNMcL_so&index=5

Sessions are online for everyone to view and there’s a lot of inspiring stuff at http://max.adobe.com/sessions/online.html. And that’s not only Adobe Keynotes/Products but also wow moments from creatives worldwide.

Like Phil Hansen’s video, which is great.
Swede Erik Johansson and his PS pictures. Tops.
Rob Legato, co-director on Hugo / Titanic / Apollo 13 and so on.
Paula Scher – Artsy fartsy. (Inspiring).

And don’t forget all Sessions… An awsesome one for example is karlssonwilker (S9442: Creativity, Technology, and karlssonwilker)
S9103: Dust to Lightning: The Unique Storytelling of Bandito Brothers
S9325: Fast Performance with CSS on Mobile

Typekit now for desktop use.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DOCDKANInU0

New in Photoshop CC: (http://psd.tutsplus.com/tutorials/tools-tips/photoshop-cc-features/)

A good video for top 5 features
http://tv.adobe.com/watch/creative-cloud-for-design/terry-whites-top-5-features-in-adobe-photoshop-cc/

Julieanne Kost’s Top 5 Favorite Features for Photographers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Vjg4RtV4UAk

Quick smaller changes in PS 
http://tv.adobe.com/watch/creative-cloud-for-design/photoshop-cc-overview/

New in Illustrator CC 
http://tv.adobe.com/watch/creative-cloud-for-design/whats-new-in-adobe-illustrator-cc/ 

A cool sneak is the copy light feature for PS and AE http://tv.adobe.com/watch/adobe-technology-sneaks-2013/sneak-peek-playing-with-lighting-in-photoshop-and-after-effects/

Sneak Peek: Perspective Warp in Photoshop http://tv.adobe.com/watch/adobe-technology-sneaks-2013/sneak-peek-perspective-warp-in-photoshop/

All new stuff for AE
http://tv.adobe.com/watch/learn-after-effects-cc/adobe-after-effects-cc-overview/

All video stuff
http://tv.adobe.com/watch/creative-cloud-for-video/adobe-creative-cloud-overview-for-video-pros/
http://tv.adobe.com/watch/creative-cloud-for-video/adobe-premiere-pro-cc-overview/

All design stuff 
http://tv.adobe.com/watch/creative-cloud-for-design/whats-new-in-adobe-indesign-cc/

Responsive Design with Edge Reflow And the Responsive Inspector
http://tv.adobe.com/watch/max-2013/responsive-design-with-edge-reflow/
At 54:53 in the Video magic starts, from inside photoshop -> “Create reflow project” (exports all your layers to assets) and start with a pre-prepped Reflow proj. Cool.

Edge Code
http://html.adobe.com/edge/code/
Responsive websites. But what about developers whose workflow is highly code based? Here’s an Edge Reflow-inspired experience available right inside of Edge Code.

Code, Debug, and Test for the Modern Web
http://tv.adobe.com/watch/creative-cloud-for-web/code-debug-and-test-for-the-modern-web-2/

What’s the difference between Brackets and Edge Code?

Edge Code is a distribution of the Brackets open source project. In addition to the core functionality included within Brackets, Edge Code includes additional features that make it easy to use other Edge Tools & Services, such as Edge Inspect, Edge Web Fonts and PhoneGap Build.

What is the benefit of Edge Code being built with HTML, CSS and JavaScript?

If you have the skills to use Edge Code, you also have the skills to customize the editor and contribute new features. There is even a robust and growing JavaScript API to allow you to build new extensions. For more information about contributing to the Brackets project or developing new extensions visit http://brackets.io.

Edge Code extensions http://forums.adobe.com/docs/DOC-3191

Why search with words? Liquid Search sneak
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGmDtW4c0IE

So, in summary, Event Inspirational Level: 130%.

And the networking was awesome.

And I’ll leave you with this. Any questions just contact me.

(We Represent)

Micke

… you’re welcome to stop by a panel PF’s Patrick Gardner will be taking part in, hosted by Microsoft. The panel is called “Get Physical: Digital Experiences, Real World” and it will be taking place today from 1pm-1:50pm, at 506 Congress Ave, Austin.

Session Description: Physical is the new digital. In an age of cooked metrics and inflated stats citing millions of views and downloads, the new movement is a return to offline interactive experiences where real people converge with design and technology in very physical ways.

On April 1 Perfect Fools is turning 10 years! And tonight we’re celebrating in style with our grandest Fools Eve yet.

If you’re not in town you can join us on our Bambuser stream (and follow our preparations throughout the day!)

PF have proposed a panel discussion for next spring’s SXSW conference in Austin, Texas. The panel would explore Converse’s recently launched street art initiative, and feature PF Creative Partner Mark Chalmers, Converse VP of International Marketing Ivan Wicksteed and the internationally acclaimed street artist Ben Eine. Now we need your help to see that we make it there. 30% of the panel selection process is based on public voting, so if you have a minute please stop by the SXSW site here and give us your support. Many thanks from the Fools!

Perfect Fools invites you to an exhibition of custom artwork, printed on skateboard decks! Individual expression meets collective creativity when we celebrate ourselves and everything Foolish.

Basically: come along to hang out, have a drink with us, enjoy fresh beats and crisp skate decks.

Bondegatan 70 in Stockholm, April 2, 3pm–9pm. Hope to see you there!

Creative Partner Mark Chalmers has again been elected to the D&AD jury, this time as foreman for ‘Digital Advertising’. Read more about Chalmers and the D&AD Awards here, and hear President Sanky’s call for entries in many tongues here.

For a second year running PF ECD Tony Högqvist joined Taiwan’s official Cannes Lions representatives for a three-day series of workshops and seminars dubbed Interactive@Taiwan, which he led together with fellow Swede Klas Lusth of Acne. The festival took place in Taipei earlier this month. In addition Tony also delivered a seminar on McDonald’s Dreaming in Mono at a related event hosted by Yahoo. More info available here (Mandarin).

The Adobe User Group Netherlands recently organized “From Scandinavia with Love”, showcasing Swedish digital for the Dutch creative industry. Featured companies included B-Reel, North Kingdom, Fantasy Interactive and Perfect Fools. Perfect Fools’ President Patrick Gardner highlighted the factors behind Sweden’s international creative success and useful lessons to be learned from Swedish organizational culture. He also presented several recent PF cases. A description of the event (Dutch) is online here. Full video available here and photos here. Photo: Joel Frijhoff.

What do you get when you combine Phil Jones’ legendary Digital Podge lunches with the Swedish Digital Crayfish Party? The answer: the Stockholm archipelago instead of London and aquavit instead of red wine – but the same great time together with old and new industry leaders. Perfect Fools’ Patrick Gardner and Podgefather Phil Jones joined forces last week to host the Swedish Podge, for the first time ever outside England. CDs and MDs came from across Europe to enjoy conversation, crayfish and a snaps or two with their Swedish colleagues. Read more about the Swedish Podge here and check out some fine pictures here.