The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF) and DARE are launching an emotive new national campaign across TV, print, radio and online, to drive participation in the annual Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure being held this year on Sunday, October 6.

The new campaign was born through a strategic planning process, built on a compelling goal: with the support of the community, the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation will realize its vision of creating a future without breast cancer.

While CBCF’s vision is a clear one, previous Run marketing campaigns had taken a retrospective view, in memory of those who have struggled with the disease. DARE saw the need to re-focus on the central mission, making clear that the CIBC Run for the Cure is a step towards change for the future of women across Canada. The resulting campaign was thus developed around the strategic territory of “Running for the Future” – a future without breast cancer.

The creative, developed by DARE`s Executive Creative Director Paul Little, brought this strategic insight to life using the simple yet powerful concept of children telling us who they are running for in the future. Whether a daughter, wife or granddaughter who might be diagnosed with breast cancer, the campaign highlights that it is a future that they shouldn’t have to face, if we continue to raise funds and work toward finding a cure for breast cancer.

The TV executions, shot by Philistine, which is currently directors Tim Godsall and Steven Diller from OPC //FS, each focus on one story told by a child of the future person they are running for, while the print, shot by Melodie McDaniel from Brydges Mackinney, shows the simple line of who the children are running for in the future.

Chris Burke, Senior Manager, Event Marketing at CBCF, explains, “All charities, particularly health and cancer charities, are facing the challenge of a more crowded, sophisticated and competitive marketing environment. For CBCF, that’s comes against the backdrop of some great achievements in recent years. In 2012, it was estimated that 88 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer will be alive five years after diagnosis, a 10 percent increase in the survival rate since 1987. This campaign reframes the discussion; making the cause relevant to everyone again and making people realize that this is still very much a cause that they should do something about, for women now and in the future.”

"We wanted to switch things up this year” adds DARE ECD Paul Little. "We wanted a different kind of logic that would make people really think about why they should participate in this event. The unfortunate reality is that breast cancer is harsh, but reminding us of that in a heavy handed ad isn't new. We wanted to surprise people and help them feel motivated by this initiative again.”
The national campaign consists of four 30 second TV commercials (3 in English and 1 in French), five print pieces, 2 radio spots and online banners. It also features strong social media elements, to extend the relationship with participants well before and beyond Run day. This includes a Facebook App that helps people submit their reasons for participating, creating shareable content to encourage people to support their friends who are getting involved.

The campaign will be in market from June 3rd 2013 through to run day on Sunday, October 6, 2013. For more information or to sign up to participate, please visit www.runforthecure.com.

Credits:
Agency: DARE
Executive Creative Director: Paul Little
Copywriter: Paul Constantakis, Paul Little
Art Director: Paul Little
Agency Producer: Mike Hasinoff, Matthew Sy, Jeff Maynard
Account Lead: Penny Norman, Jillian Pearson
Planner: John Hall
Media Agency: Vizeum
Media Lead: Lynn Mayer
Director: Philistine (currently Tim Godsall and Steven Diller)
Production Company: OPC //FS
Executive Producer: Harland Weiss, Donovan Boden
Producer: Isil Gilderdale
Director of Photography: Andre Pienaar
Editorial: School
Editor: Brian Wells
Telecine: Company3
Colorist: Tom Poole
Online & Finishing: Fort York
Sound Design & Mix: Grayson Matthews
Photographer: Melodie McDaniel at Brydges Mackinney

New General Motors Company

On Friday, on July, 10th, procedure of bankruptcy of concern General Motors has come to the end. The Company management and administration of the US president of Barack Obama managed to "turn" this process rapidly — legal investigation GM lasted only 40 days while Chrysler — one more autocompany, not managed to go through present crisis, 42 days for this purpose were required.

Thus, during the largest for all history of the USA of bankruptcy the old and slow giant who with 1931 till 2007 was the largest motor-car manufacturer in the world, has given way new, "mobile and flexible" General Motors Company. At least, so represents results of proceeding the official press release published on a site old General Motors. The companies which already actually does not exist.

But at a management "new GM", and also at representatives of administration of the US president of Barack Obama who supervised over autoconcern re-structuring, yet it is a lot of occasions to pleasure. To survive, the company had to leave afloat only four marks from eight — Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC. The others will be sold or liquidated, in due course. And such measures, in turn, demand to reduce number of North American factories GM with 47 to 34 pieces and to close 40 percent of the dealer centres in territory of the USA.

Naturally, at such serious curtailment of production has not managed and without "human losses". So, till the end of 2009 of work third of personnel serving enterprises GM in the USA will lose almost — from 91 thousand workers will be dismissed 27 thousand persons. And it only those who worked directly on General Motors. And if to consider personnel reductions at the enterprises of accessory manufacturers the figure of the future dismissals in automobile branch of the USA can grow several times.

Besides, General Motors Company it is necessary to go and on scale reduction of a management. From 1300 managers and top-managers in the near future will write the letter of resignation or leaving on pension more than 400 persons. Till this moment to such radical measures in relation to the supervising personnel in GM did not resort yet.

The chief executive of company Fritz Henderson appointed to this post shortly before bankruptcy, will keep the place and in the new company. However now Fritz Henderson will supervise not private, and is faster the state corporation — the share of Exchequer of the USA in the new company makes 60 percent. The administration of the president has actually nationalised GM when it became clear, that the company independently solve the problems cannot.

In exchange the state "has forgiven" 10,6 billion dollars of debts from given out in the beginning of year as grants of 19,4 billion dollars, and has gratuitously given 30,1 billion dollars more for financing of procedure of bankruptcy and renewal of work after end of all formalities.

Besides, GM it was necessary to pay off with "nature", that is the actives, and with other large creditors. Almost 18 percent General Motors Company were received by the trade-union fund guaranteeing social security to workers and pensioners GM before which at the company to bankruptcy the debts in 20 billion dollars have accumulated.

About 12 percent of actives has got to Canadians who for the last half a year have rendered to autoconcern the financial help at a rate of 9,5 billion dollars.

The remained 10 percent of actives remain on hand "old GM" which, by the way, so any more is not called. New name General Motors now — Motors Liquidation Company, and the new company, during re-structuring, managed by right of succession the most part of debts, including 16 factories stopped to bankruptcy.

Motors Liquidation Company: Optimization of the Sales

Naturally, Motors Liquidation Company long will not exist. For liquidation it is allocated 1,75 billion dollars and in some years the structure will disappear — after will pay off on debts. And here General Motors Company it is necessary to come back to a world car market and to work in conditions which have put on a survival side all North American car industry — because of the growing prices for oil and financial crisis for today of sale of the American manufacturers in the house market have fallen to indicators of the beginning of 80th years of the last century.

Despite forthcoming difficulties, in General Motors Corporation in the future look with optimism. At least, in words. So, the 77-year-old ex-head of department of design GM, come back to the company right after end of procedure of bankruptcy to the place of the vice-president "new GM", considers, that the new proprietor, in the near future, has every chance to become the leader of the automobile market not only in America, but also all over the world:

"Now the main reason for purchase of cars GM consists not that they are made in America, at factories GM, or that we have finished bankruptcy procedure. The main thing - for last five years we have completely updated our lineup, and I can tell, that now we make probably best cars and pickups for all history General Motors".

However many North American experts do not believe, that existing lineup GM is competitive and can bring in the income. "Bankruptcy has not changed cars which are sold by dealers General Motors, and after all at the expense of them the company earns money", — the president of consulting firm Maryann Keller and Associates Merian Keller has declared in interview to agency Bloomberg.

However, Keller was mistaken in the formulation — does not earn, and loses. After all only for last five years - those about which the ex-head of department of design GM spoke, the North American motorcar giant has lost about 88 billion dollars.

Related Posts: Crisis

• The domain sex.com for the present is not sold
• I change a brilliant for a battery
• Obama allocates $2.4 billion for electromobiles
• On a car market of the USA stability is planned
• Promissory note Porsche makes 14 billion euro
• The court has approved sale of actives GM of the new company

Watch how future technology will help people make better use of their time, focus their attention, and strengthen relationships while getting things done at work, home, and on the go.
And below Microsoft's Future Vision Montage released back in 2009

Credits:
Microsoft

The film is a celebration of creative youth: the current pioneers who are making music, creating great record labels, making flyers and magazines. They are crafting their own future as well as shaping ours. Their story challenges us all to focus on the present and the future.

Made by The Rig Out (www.therigout.com) and directed by Antony Crook http://www.antonycrook.com/ of Ridley Scott Associates - http://www.rsafilms.com/company/rsa-u... on location in Bolton and Manchester (the birthplace of Reebok). Cinematography by Lol Crawley and a voice over by Paul Popplewell (Tyrannosaur, 24 Hour Party People).

Creative Credits:  
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Glenn Kitson
ADVERTISING AGENCY: The Rig Out
COMPOSER: Illum Sphere
AUDIO POST PRODUCTION: Tom Joyce at Factory
EDITOR: Julian Eguiguren
POST PRODUCTION / VFX
PRODUCER: Adina Birnbaum and Chris Connolly
POST PRODUCTION HOUSE: MPC
PRODUCTION COMPANY: RSA Films
PRODUCER: Jacob Swan Hyam, Michelle O’Brien for Sugar Free
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Melody Sylvester
DOP: Lol Crawley BSC
DIRECTOR: Antony Crook

A couple of months ago, IKEA collaborated with world-renowned hypnotist Justin Tranz to help young couples experience their products and solutions, in the future. Tranz, with over 6,000 stage shows in Vegas on his resume, quickly turned the IKEA bedrooms and bathrooms into a stage and passersby into a stunned audience. After putting the couples willing to be hypnotised in trance, a state of sleepwalking where people are more open for suggestion, they were exposed to potential life-changing everyday events in a predicted future everyday life.

The release of the films supports the global launch of the new IKEA catalogue and this year’s theme - Where The Everyday Begins & Ends. The central premise focuses on bed and bathroom solutions, rooms IKEA are paying extra attention to this year.

GE fly's into the future with the second ad from their newest ad campaign, "Brilliant Machines" via agency BBDO, New York.

The future of flying is here — and it's not what anyone expected. We've learned how to build airplanes that can fly anywhere in the world, break the sound barrier, and refuel while soaring through the sky. The next frontier in aviation is not a revolution in design but about building smarter planes — brilliant machines that know how to optimize their fuel efficiency on the fly.
The GE jet engine featured in this plane has the ability to understand 5,000 data samples PER SECOND. This helps planes get to their destination with less fuel and minimize the time they spend on the ground — and keeps them soaring through the sky, taking you wherever you want to go.

See the GE Robots on the Move spot HERE.

Credits:
Ad Agency: BBDO, New York

Within the next three years the British company McLaren Automotive plans to start a batch production hybrid supercars.

Future Hybrid McLaren

2012 McLaren MP4-12C

The detailed information about McLaren's supercars is not disclosed yet. According to preliminary data, such car becomes the top of model lines. Thus, in the near future it's planned to add two more supercars which will make a competition to cars Mazda RX-9 or Porsche 977. Today, McLaren has only one model — 600-strong supercar MP4-12C which has been declassified in March of current year and received the eight-cylinder motor in volume of 3,8 litres.

Cost of McLaren MP4-12C in Great Britain makes 175,000 pounds sterling.

Extreme Kama Sutra

Swedish adv agency «Volt» has shown the Kama Sutra poses in advertising of a boutique of children clothes.

"You do the future buyers, we do clothes for them", — underlines a slogan. Visual realization shows how it's possible to make the future buyers.

Ancient Hindus did not consider intimate entertainments as something indecent or sinful. For this reason they managed to create a masterpiece which remains to this day the most popular book.

The Kama Sutra allows any person to open the new world of fantastic pleasures, love joys and the unearthly pleasures. Here everyone will find modern outlook on carnal joys and desired satisfaction. Learn to love itself!

2011 Nissan Leaf

Nissan company presented the competitor for electro-car Renault Twizy which has been shown for the 1st time in October of current year on motor show in Paris. The Japanese car received name New Mobility Concept and, according to representatives of the manufacturer, electrocar is the prototype created for studying of possible use variants in the future. Thus, unlike Renault, Nissan does not declare possibility of start of the similar car in mass manufacture.

The New Mobility Concept by Nissan

Nissan novelty is equipped by the same electric power-plant, as Renault Twizy. Renault Twizy sales begin in the European car market in the end of next year, and representatives of the company promise that such car will cost not more expensively the usual scooter.
At Nissan mark the 1st serial electro-car is model Leaf, whose manufacture in Japan began in the end of October. The cruising range of such car makes 160 kilometers, and charging of batteries occupy 8 hours. In Europe Leaf will cost about 30,000 euros.

Press: Samsung Electronics has today revealed a new UK marketing campaign for its Galaxy Alpha smartphone. The £10 million campaign which includes TV, print, PR, search, social media, digital display and out-of-home, takes Samsung into new territory with the launch of an epic TVC featuring pop star Lily Allen.

The TVC will debut in the UK from this Saturday, 20th September with a one minute primetime spot. As the latest member of Samsung’s popular Galaxy smartphone range, the TVC demonstrates the role the Galaxy Alpha plays in the lives of everyday Britain, capturing the spirit, diversity, quirkiness and vibrant culture of the people that live here.

Filmed on location around England and directed by the acclaimed Josh & Xander, the TVC ‘Right up our street’ is set to the soundtrack of Lily Allen’s ‘As Long As I’ve Got You,’ and features the Galaxy Alpha throughout, showing it naturally entwined in the everyday lives of Alpha Britons, who embody the spirit of new modern Britain and its stylish youth culture.

Commenting on the launch campaign, Russell Taylor, Vice President of Corporate Marketing, Samsung UK & Ireland said: “The Galaxy Alpha is a smartphone that pushes the boundaries in terms of its style and technology and we wanted a campaign that was culturally relevant with young minded consumers. Our goal is to bring this mobile brand platform to life in a way that is relevant to our audience.”

Lily Allen commented: “I’m proud to be British, and it’s exciting to be involved with a campaign intended to be a love letter to my home country. Samsung and Josh & Xander have done an amazing job, the Alpha Briton campaign represents all the things I love about Britain; fashion, music, family...it’s all there.”

The Galaxy Alpha print and digital display campaign will show how Samsung’s beautifully designed new smartphone represents an alternative style choice and capture the uniqueness of British people. The TVC will feature 56 real-life Alpha Britons, some of whom also appear through-out the other elements of the campaign, who will each demonstrate their independent, varied and eclectic style choices.

Logan Wilmont, executive creative director at Cheil UK, the creative agency behind the campaign, added: “Britain is an amazingly diverse and creative culture. We have come through a difficult few years and have emerged as a positive confident and optimistic place. But sometimes we forget that. We wanted to celebrate that optimism. Samsung are the most popular phones in the UK, used by more people on more devices than any other phone. And we love the fact we fit so perfectly into this new Britain. And Lily Allen is the perfect encapsulation of all this. Positive, populist, stylish and fun.”

Matt Pye, COO at Cheil UK, added: “This is the first time we’ve worked with Samsung to create a brand platform in the UK, and significantly, one that will influence the way Samsung devices are marketed in the future. The platform holds exciting potential for future activity and I couldn’t be prouder that our teams have been a part of putting that in place.”

Creative Credits:  
· Creative agency: Cheil UK
· Creative Directors: Dave Newbold & Jim Eyre
· Copywriter: Dave Newbold
· Planners: Tony Evans / Jason Kidd
· Agency Producer: Alex Davis
· Account Handlers: Andrew Boatman / Fraser Campbell
· Media Agency: Starcom MediaVest
· Director: Josh & Xander
· Production Company: RadicalMedia
· Production Company Executive Producer: Ben Schneider
· DOP: Ross McLennan
· Post Production Company: Absolute Post
· Audio Post Production: Universal Music Publishing
· Editor: Paul Watts

Here is an early look at the future of designing your next Toyota purchase with the help of a Google+ Hangout before you walk in to the dealer to buy it. The Collaborator will allow you (with the help of your friends) pick colors, add features, preview your features and options, save it and if you have questions, a Toyota Expert is online and at the ready to help. The prototype is still in development and yet not available online but from the preview video released, it looks like a fun way to preview your next Prius.

Toyota and Google+ have teamed up to make car shopping a little more social with Collaborator. We are proud to share the Toyota Collaborator prototype at Google I/O, and look forward to releasing it to consumers in the future.

via: ToyotaUSA

KITKAT's Chief Breaks Officer tells us why KITKAT 4.4 is the future of confectionery.

Follow KITKAT on Google+: http://plus.google.com/+kitkat

2011 Bentley Continental Flying Spur

Bentley company plans to start in the near future a batch production of a four-door coupe. The novelty will be constructed on platform by Audi A7 Sportback.

The new model of Bentley makes a competition to cars of Aston Martin Rapide and Porsche Panamera. According to preliminary data, the prices for a novelty in Great Britain will begin from 85,000 pounds sterling that is almost twice cheaper than Aston Martin Rapide.

The Luxury Bentley

Let's notice that in the near future, company also intends to exhaust on the car market some more luxury novelties, for example: open versions of sedan Mulsanne and coupe Continental GT, and also restyling version of Flying Spur.

Every year IBM makes predictions about 5 technology innovations that stand to change the way we live within the next 5 years, (above) IBM introduces us to Cognitive Computing. Thought your smartphone was smart? In five years our computers just might be: Tasting, Smelling, Hearing, Seeing, and Touching everything for us. (5 senses videos below).

The goal of cognitive computing is to get a computer to behave, think and interact the way humans do. In 5 years, machines will emulate human senses, each in their own special way.

“With all due respect to current technology, our computers today are just large calculators,” said Paul Bloom, the CTO of Telecom Research at IBM. “They calculate very fast and lots of data, but they really don’t think.”

"This is really an assistive technology," commented Dr. Bernard Meyerson, IBM's VP of research. "It can't go off on its own. It's not designed to do that. What it's designed to do, in fact, is respond to a human in an assistive manner. But by providing a human-style of input, it's freed us from the task of programming and moved to the task of training. It simply has — not more intelligence — but more bandwidth, and there's a huge difference between the two."

Smell:

In 5 years, computers will have a sense of smell. We will see vast advances where sensors will be equipped to smell potential diseases that feed back into a cognitive system to tell us if they suspect a possible health issue. Your phone will detect if you're coming down with a cold or illness before you do.

Taste:

In 5 years, a computer system will know what you like to eat better than you do. A machine that experiences flavor will determine the precise chemical structure of food and why people like it. Not only will it get you to eat healthier, but it will also surprise us with unusual pairings of foods that are designed to maximize our experience of taste and flavor. Digital taste buds will help you to eat smarter.

Sight:

In 5 years, computers will not only be able to look at images, but understand them. Computers will be trained to turn pictures and videos into features, identifying things like color distribution, texture patterns, edge information and motion information. A pixel will be worth a thousand words.

Touch:

In 5 years, you will be able to touch through your phone. IBM is working on bringing a sense of touch to mobile devices, and bringing together virtual and real world experiences for a number of industries including retail. Shoppers will be able to "feel" the texture and weave of a fabric or product by brushing their finger over the item's image on a device's screen.

Hearing:

In 5 years, computers will hear what matters. Hearing systems of the future will be trained by 'listening' to sounds and will use this input to start detecting patterns and building models to decompose sounds. Machines will be used to predict when a tree might fall or to translate "baby talk" so parents understand if a baby's fussing indicates hunger, tiredness or pain.

Creative Credits:
Client: California Milk Processor Board
Campaign: Milk Fuels a Better Future
Ad Agencies: Grupo Gallegos; Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
Executive Creative Director: Jeff Goodby
Chief Strategy Officer: Andrew Delbridge
Chief Creative Officer: Marty Orzio
Creative Directors: Eric Kallman, Kate Catalinac
Associate Creative Directors: Saul Escobar, Curro Chozas
Copywriter: Simon Bruyn
Art Director: Andrew Livingston
Head of Broadcast Production: Tod Puckett
Senior Broadcast Producer: Leila Seghrouchni
Production Company: Dummy
Director: Harold Einstein
Director of Photography: Jonathan Freeman
Editing Company: Arcade Edit
Editor: Dave Anderson
Assistant Editor: Mark Popham
Visual Effects: The Mill
Music: Butter

The Sun — Your Royal Highness, Meet Your Fellow Future Rulers Of The World

With the undoubted plethora of tactical ads celebrating the royal birth, we thought we’d do something a bit more light-hearted. We noticed that the royal baby was to be born in the same year – and even the same month – as some other pretty high-profile ankle biters. Kids that the world will be seeing a lot of in the next few decades. Why not introduce the royal baby to his or her fellow future rulers of the world?

Credits:
Executive Creative Director: Nils Leonard
Creative Director: Dave Monk
Creative Team: Dominic Butler & Jasper Cho
Retouching: Act2|UM
Media: Press & digital OOH

The Times & The Sunday Times — "Royal Delivery"

What better way to celebrate 'a royal delivery' than by replacing the traditional stork with the most royal and elegant of birds, the swan. Photography from award-winning still life photographer Jenny Van Sommers.

Credits:
Executive Creative Director: Nils Leonard
Creative Director: Dave Monk
Creative Team: Jonathan Rands & Alex Tizard
Photography: Jenny Van Sommers
Media: Press

Creative advertising agency Fancy Rhino creates a beautiful new ad campaign for Samsung in cooperation with Current TV and Take Part (a subsidiary of Participant Media) showcasing the Galaxy Note II and the Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet in action.

The short film styled ads feature a handful of people in the non-profit world who are doing some pretty amazing work and using good technology to do it. the result is a combination of stories of these social rock stars to the Samsung brand in a powerful way.

Samsung salutes Adam Braun, CEO and Founder of Pencils of Promise — a non-profit organization that creates schools and uses innovation through technology to provide access to education all over the world.

Samsung praises SunSaluter — a company that uses innovative technology to energize communities all over the world.

Matt Flannery of Kiva.org uses technology to connect people all over the world and inspire social action.

Credits:
Advertised brand: Samsung
Advert title(s): Create the Future
Advertising Agency: Fancy Rhino, Chattanooga, TN, USA http://Fancyrhino.com
CCO: Drew Belz
Creative Director: Caleb Rexford
Spot Directors: Drew Belz, Isaiah Smallman and Caleb Rexford
Producer: Take Part http://www.takepart.com
Graphic Design: Michael Mahaffey
Director of Photography: Keith Turner and Andrew Aldridge
Camera: Kelly Lacy, Keith Turner and Andrew Aldridge
Sound Production Agency: Ro-Co.co http://www.Ro-Co.co
Soundtrack Composer: Michael Kendall

Here is the new Apple teaser ad for the new Mac Pro coming this fall. "The future of the pro desktop" is the work of ad agency TBWA\ Media Arts Lab, LA, and features the music of Muse, "Supremacy".

The new Mac is heralded as a revolution, but the teaser spot is just that....so we wait until the fall. A few images from the ad below to give the conspiracy theorists something to talk about.

via:

Looking for an ingenious way to build their online presence, the Johannesburg Zoo has decided to hand over all their Social Media management to ‘someone’ who knows the zoo inside out. BG the Badger! The Johannesburg Zoo’s much-loved resident honey badger and the official JHB Zoo mascot.
How is this even possible? Well, it’s largely due to BG’s new high-tech animal enclosure, cleverly devised by award-winning digital agency Hellocomputer, of the Draftfcb group. Creatives on the job include Candice Hellens (copywriter), Eras Gous (art-director) Moira-Gene Sephton Gous (art-director) and Rory MacRobert (copywriter), and the technology was implemented by tech wizard Tom van den Bon (at BinarySpace) along with Johan Pieterse, Nathan O' Gates and Ben Fourie of Hellocomputer.
Selected because of his cheeky-yet-lovable personality, love of people and his very active nature, BG began tweeting on June 14 this year. You can follow him at @zootweetslive.
The Technology: BG’s high-tech badger enclosure is rigged with wireless infrared motion sensors, which are divided into six zones. The animal-friendly sensors talk to a server that holds a database of hundreds of pre-written BG tweets. As BG moves from zone to zone, the motion sensors pick up on his location and automatically trigger tweets from his Twitter account, in real-time. The built-from-scratch coding ensures that all the tweets are relevant to what BG is doing at that moment e.g. if BG is at the front section of his enclosure he will trigger people-related tweets, when he is near the sides he will trigger neighbour-related tweets and so on.
“The techno-wizards from Hellocomputer are thrilled by the project and the team at the JHB Zoo are amped to have turned BG into – in record time – what they believe is the world’s first LIVE tweeting zoo ‘spokesanimal’”, said Kerry Friend, executive creative director of Hellocomputer.
“The Joburg Zoo does a wonderful job connecting with animal fans using many different traditional media, but it has steered away from the digital realm until now. Having acknowledged the many benefits of engaging with its target base using social media, it wanted an especially appealing way of doing so.”
“Hellocomputer’s logic was that, since the thing that people really love about the Zoo is its animals, it makes sense for an animal to be their spokesperson”.
“The job has fallen on BG’s shoulders right now but there are plenty of interesting candidates, ones who are on the extinction list and who could become ‘spokesanimals’ for their species as well. Who knows what the future will bring,” she said.
“Critical to the zoo’s acceptance of the concept and the system is BG’s safety”, said Johannesburg Zoo’s Brand & Communications Manager, Letta Madlala.
“While we were immediately enchanted by Hellocomputer’s innovative proposal to turn one of our most social animals into a social media spokesperson, we stressed that we could not put BG at risk at all”.
“The system designed by Hellocomputer utilises wireless sensors, so there’s nothing for BG to chew on, choke on or entangle himself in. They are also small and unobtrusive, and have been attached at the highest points of the enclosure, while the base station and its solar power source, which are more difficult to ruggedise, have been placed outside the enclosure.
“The sensors are also enclosed in hard-to-penetrate Perspex so, if BG does manage to get his claws on one – and let’s face it, honey badgers are resourceful and very strong creatures – he will not be able to penetrate it in the short term and it can be retrieved by zoo staff”.
“While several of BG’s tweets will address his daily activities – such as his walks around the zoo (which he adorably takes on a lead), his mealtimes and playtimes, comments on his human visitors and animal neighbours and badger philosophies–he will obviously also be able to promote special events at the zoo and, when relevant, comment on current events”.

“We are thrilled with the results and look forward to many of our supporters and the public engaging with BG on a regular basis,” she said. “He’s a very friendly badger, we’re sure he’ll be very popular on twitter.”
While Hellocomputer has written several rules to govern BG’s tweets limiting the number of tweets a day and an hour or the number of tweets triggered from one station, its server will log BG’s exact movements as they trigger the sensors.
Additionally, all this valuable data will be retained and made available to the zoo should it have a need to research or contribute to research being done on badger habit studies and/or studies on animals in captivity.
“Not only does this system provide the Joburg Zoo with an exciting and totally apt way of communicating with its target audiences through social media, it has the potential to contribute to mankind’s understanding of animal behaviour and — by extrapolation — animal well-being in the future. We couldn’t be prouder,” concluded Kerry Friend.