Chiloe Stories

Take a break from your humdrum day and office cubicle by visiting Chiloe Stories. And just what is Chiloe? It’s a beautiful little Chilean archipelago approximately 700 miles south of Santiago, Chile. Enjoy visiting a very different way of life than the one you likely now live. (Do you talk to your growing potatoes? Some of the people in Chiloe do.)

Home page:  Chiloe Stories

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Toscana Promozione TV (Italy)

Somewhere inside me there is supposed to be the ability to somewhat translate Italian. However, it’s been a very long time since I dated the beautiful Luisa from Naples, my teacher. Therefore, and given the very little time I typically have, you’re on your own with this page of promotional videos from Toscana Promozione TV for the Tuscany region of Italy. (If you wish to cheat a bit, look here.)

Home page: Toscana Promozione

Michelin

I learned a great deal from touring the Michelin site. First, there is the history of Bibendum, the Living Tire (non-multimedia) — Michelin’s well-known spokesman. (I never knew he actually had a name.) Then there is the equally well-known Michelin Guide, which began its publication in 1900 with a bold declaration on its very first page: This guide has been launched with the new century and will last just as long. Overall, I must say Michelin has one of the finest corporate web sites I’ve seen, even when there is no multimedia content.

But let’s get back to The Distillery’s real focus — multimedia. We discover Michelin in video where we find videos about The [Michelin] Groupe, Bibendum, Products and Innovation, and Michelin TV commercials. The first of those links leads directly to video content and the others to pages with two or more video clips. You might especially enjoy the silent and early-1900s animation of Bibendum’s birth from a stack of tires. After that, head on over to the North American Virtual Newsroom where you will find pages and pages of video clips. Wow! And again not multimedia, but one does find the expected map or two at the site, also.

Now on to the fun stuff. Let’s play Michelin [Formula 1] Pit Challenge. I initially found the game a tad confusing, so I’ll give you a hint. After clicking on each member of the pit crew, one must then click on the tires and give one to each pit crew member. After that, it’s pedal to the metal! And although the game is simple, it’s still quite fun. It may even keep those aging brain cells from dying off too quickly, or so says current research regarding such tasks.

And last, but certainly not the last of everything one will find at Michelin’s site, is its revolutionary Tweel. Now that’s something really different. I can’t wait to see them on the highways. Talk about double takes!

Oops, I missed something I would like to include for now (but we’ll return one day) — multimedia at the Michelin 2 Wheel web site. Yes, Michelin’s site seems to go on forever with goodies. As I said, it’s one of the nicest corporate web sites I’ve seen to date. Kudos, Michelin.

Land Rover & Go Beyond TV

First, I apologize about no postings yesterday, but I could not get into WordPress.com–at least whenever I had a few free minutes. That said…

Land Rover’s Go Beyond TV is the future here now. This is fully immersive internet-based advertising. It is light-years beyond advertising as we have historically come to know it. Beyond TV is a true 21st century marketing hybrid with elements of traditional TV, an online video magazine, an infomercial, educational videos, a travel channel, and information about the product. Even more, it’s an experience.

Quite frankly, The Distillery cannot believe more firms have not yet arrived at the understanding of today’s online possibilities shown by Land Rover. Why haven’t more Fortune 500 firms begun their own internet-based TV channels? Yes, there are firms such as Feedroom and NarrowStep which likely provide economies of scale and turnkey solutions, but even Land Rover does not have a LandRover.tv URL for its Range Rover videos and others. What’s up with that? With the boom in online video, when will more firms realize that a .tv suffix may well be their best way to reach tech-savvy consumers who now do not have separate TVs and computers, but integrated media centers?

Oh, and be certain to watch Bolivia Death Road. That’s the way?! No way!!!

China Airlines & the Boeing 747-400

One word comes to mind to describe this ad: Elegance. But, just what is being advertised? China Airlines or the Boeing 747-400? If my suspicions are correct, and seeing what many other firms are now doing, it is a loving and profitable relationship.

It is formally called co-branding. And quite frankly, this is one co-branding alliance that has produced a beautiful online marketing campaign. I love the option of sky colors. The music is perfect–both theme- and volume-wise. And, many of the still images are gorgeous. (Who did this ad? I wanna know!)

Can you spell O-l-y-m-p-i-c-s? Convince me otherwise than this being a ramp-up to the upcoming Olympic games in China. After seeing this ad, and even knowing the pleasures JAL, I’m definitely flying China Airlines and the 747-400 when given the opportunity.

A pointer: Do not click “Next” too quickly or you may miss some of the still images. And last, I love the tagline used in this promo for a magnificent plane: Still a miracle. Indeed, as airliners go, it is.

Connexion by Boeing

Microsoft forever continues to play catch-up. Fellow WordPress blogger, Scobleizer – Microsoft Geek Blogger, commented that Google’s newly announced web-based spreadsheet service might not fit his bill because…well, in his own words:

Also, I’ve learned that the Internet sometimes goes away (like every time I’m on a plane) so keeping files locally is vitally important to most businesspeople who can’t rely on the Internet for their vital data.

(Reference URL for fact-checkers and record-keepers: http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/2006/06/06/google-announces-more-sleepless-nights-ahead-for-msft-product-managers/#comment-35940)

Isn’t Microsoft’s corporate headquarters in Seattle? And, wasn’t Boeing’s corporate headquarters in Seattle until only a few years ago? Would not such worldwide-located and globally important firms know a little something about each other, especially if the knowledge is not a tip-top-secret threat to national security? Don’t their employees inter-marry? (By the way, kudos to Bill Gates for marrying a fellow Duke alumnae/i.) Didn’t Scoble think to invite any of the likely remaining Boeing employees to his upcoming barbeque? Then why doesn’t an apparently well-spoken, well-traveled, and highly intelligent Microsoft employee know his above statement is not entirely correct? In fact, it’s dead wrong.

I guess it’s up to the The Distillery to correct him–and remind Microsoft it still owes its blogger an Office Suite for a needed favor provided to one of its sales reps ten years ago. (No, I never forget being cheated, especially when it would cost Microsoft essentially nothing to make good on its promise. And again, need Microsoft wonder why it was recently surveyed as being one of the most untrustworthy of corporations? Again, “Duh!”) Robert Scoble, meet Connexion by Boeing. And with that tip from The Distillery, I’m certain we’ll not hear any more excuses for why something did not get finished because you were on a cross-country flight, eh? In fact, you can sign up here.

(Note: Robert, this is not at all intended to be a personal attack on you, but very much so one on Microsoft. I trust you can understand both my ire for being cheated by a Microsoft sales rep, but also my immense respect for you. I also understand my invite to your barbeque “got lost in the mail.” No hard feelings, I hope. In fact, I’ll make sure you get an invite to my fall oyster roast here on the east coast.)

Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide

Saatchi & Saatchi is one of the most venerable names in advertising. They both sponsor and win advertising awards. However (you expected a complete endorsement?), aside from its own web site I find the majority of their showcased past and present campaigns absolutely boring. ‘Tis no wonder one occasionally hears they have lost another creative genius who has set up shop elsewhere to do more daring work.

Among the several mediocre–but somehow award-winning–ads you will find at their web site, the following are possibly worth a few of your minutes:

Guinness Africa (Quite nice.)
China Light & Power
Lion Cereal (Very good.)
Kilroy Travels (Even better.)
Skol Beer Music Festival
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children