Experiential marketing agency TRO has unveiled a new standalone business unit, CASSETTE, to deliver innovative creative technology solutions for live experiential marketing campaigns.

CASSETTE replaces TROi, the agency’s previous creative tech division. CASSETTE will operate as its own entity, servicing both TRO clients and the wider industry.

Headed up by Ben Taylor (pictured), who was previously Retail Experience Director in charge of TRO’s retail offering, CASSETTE is focussed on taking creative technologies into a physical world environment, and will provide an end-to-end service from strategy, UX and design, to development, build and installation.

Solutions encompass Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Mixed Reality, mobile apps, interactive windows, eye tracking technology and more.

Previous digital work by TRO has included interactive windows for Vogue, an interactive wardrobe for Lucozade Zero, VR suitcases for Samsonite and an interactive football challenge for Nissan.

Ben Taylor says: “There are a number of players in the creative tech field, so the very essence of what CASSETTE stands for is to strip it all back. We are staunchly committed to incorporating tech seamlessly into the tangible world; our sole aim is to remove barriers to entry, not add to them.”

Taylor adds: “Relevance is our number one priority – we will apply strategy and exploit our expertise in human behaviour to ensure real meaning and truly elevate the consumer experience. Creative tech is a powerful storytelling method and we are incredibly excited about the wealth of opportunity it brings when it comes to educating and inspiring consumers.”

TRO is a brand experience agency which creates immersive experiences which can incorporate live events, partnerships, retail and creative technology. TRO is an Omnicom Group company.

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The entry deadline for the Institute of Promotional Marketing Awards 2017 is in less than three weeks on February 28^th – and agencies and brand owners who want to enter their promotional campaigns from 2016 are being encouraged to get their submissions together now.

The IPM Awards 2017 Call for Entries booklet plus top tips on how to write entries and examples of ‘best-in-class’ award-winning campaigns can be found in the awards section of the IPM website.

Richard Pink, the IPM’s Head of Awards, Judging & Entries, says: “Our judges are looking to reward campaigns that stood out in an incredibly competitive market during 2016, that worked hard for the brand and that delivered exceptional results. Tell us your stories and let us know why you deserve to win!”

The IPM is the industry body for promotional marketing, and its awards, which have been running for 40 years, have been created to showcase and champion the best work created in the previous year.

Any campaign which included a promotional element and which ran in the UK during 2016 is eligible for entry. Campaigns which ran outside the UK are also eligible, if they were created by a UK agency or for a UK-based brand or company.

To qualify, campaigns must have been running at some point during 2016; they can have started in 2015 and carried on into 2016, or they can have started in 2016 and run on into 2017. While the IPM would ideally like to see full results, Pink acknowledges that that may not be possible for campaigns which continued into 2017 (or which are still going).

He says: “Obviously, we’d ideally like to see full results, but we realise that, particularly with campaigns which are still live in January and February, that isn’t always going to be possible. In cases like that, we’re encouraging people to enter and explain clearly why they can’t provide absolute results. The judges will understand.”

Further information and advice on this topic is available on Richard Pink’s LinkedIn page.

The IPM also has its own YouTube channel, which features videos from a number of this year’s judges providing their Top Tips on how to create the best possible award entry.

Brands and agencies do not have to be members of the IPM to enter, although IPM members get discounts on their entry fees.

The trophies will be presented at the IPM Awards 2017 Gala Dinner on June 7^th 2017 at the London Hilton on Park Lane.

The headline sponsor for the IPM Awards 2017 is SODEXO and its subsidiaries Protravel, Filmology, Fotorama and Entice. Other partners include Promotional Handling Ltd, Sykes and i-movo.

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The entry deadline for the Institute of Promotional Marketing Awards 2017 is in just 40 days’ time – and agencies and brand owners who want to enter their promotional campaigns from 2016 are being encouraged to get their submissions together now.

The IPM Awards 2017 Call for Entries booklet plus top tips on how to write entries and examples of ‘best-in-class’ award-winning campaigns can be found in the awards section of the IPM website.

Richard Pink, the IPM’s Head of Awards, Judging & Entries, says: “It’s time for brands and agencies to submit their Awards entries and help us celebrate the amazing talent, the hard work and the promotional successes of 2016! As the industry body for promotional marketing, the IPM is here to proudly showcase and champion your work over the past year, and ensure you and your peers receive the industry-wide recognition you deserve.”

The IPM has just run an online Masterclass on crafting the perfect IPM Awards entry, hosted by Richard Pink, which attracted nearly 100 attendees from agency, service companies and brands.

One issue which the Masterclass highlighted was a concern over results from campaigns which started in 2016 but which continued on into 2017 and either finished close to the February 28^th entry deadline, or which will still be running after that.

Pink says: “Obviously, we’d ideally like to see full results, but we realise that, particularly with campaigns which are still live in January and February, that isn’t always going to be possible. In cases like that, we’re encouraging people to enter and explain clearly why they can’t provide absolute results. The judges will understand.”

Further information and advice on this topic is available on Richard Pink’s LinkedIn page.

The IPM also has its own YouTube channel, which features videos from a number of this year’s judges providing their Top Tips on how to create the best possible award entry.

Marketing campaigns which ran anywhere in the world are eligible for entry to the IPM Awards 2017, so long as they included a promotional element and they were created and run either by an agency based in the UK or on behalf of a brand based in the UK.

Brands and agencies do not have to be members of the IPM to enter, although IPM members get discounts on their entry fees.

The trophies will be presented at the IPM Awards 2017 Gala Dinner on June 7^th 2017 at the London Hilton on Park Lane.

The headline sponsor for the IPM Awards 2017 is SODEXO and its subsidiaries Protravel, Filmology, Fotorama and Entice. Other partners include Promotional Handling Ltd, Sykes and i-movo.

The post IPM Awards 2017 deadline just six weeks’ away! appeared first on IPM Bitesize.

UK frozen food store Iceland is launching an interactive Facebook Live campaign devised by independent media agency the7stars and social distribution company Jungle Creations to highlight the money that can be saved if you go frozen.

The social media campaign has been created to highlight the UK’s food waste problem, with the average family wasting £700 worth of fresh food every year.

An ice statue containing £700 worth of notes will be broadcast live via Viral Thread, Food Envy and Twisted Facebook sites on January 18. The competition asks viewers to guess how long it will take the sculpture to melt for a chance to win the hidden money.

The competition is more complex than simply guessing how long ice takes to melt, however. As fish is the number one food that benefits from being sold as frozen, an on-screen host, dressed as a fisherman, will be directed by the public in real-time. Whether it’s using a hairdryer to speed up the melting, taking a coffee break or doing fifty press ups to slow it down, directions from viewers will be projected onto the wall behind the host, adding an interactive element to the campaign.

Using this film, Iceland aims to draw attention to the UK’s current food waste issue, whilst suggesting frozen food as a positive alternative. The campaign highlights Iceland’s longstanding #PowerofFrozen message.

Andy Thompson, Social Manager at Iceland, says: “We’re really excited about getting the public involved in our new campaign. Our continued #PowerofFrozen activity has always been about re-educating customers to the value and quality of frozen food, and by involving them in the campaign we hope to reach existing customers as well as new consumers who don’t currently shop frozen.”

Isobel Mooney, Digital Account Lead at the7stars, said: “We wanted to use an entertaining set up to show the general public that by using frozen food over fresh it’s not only better for the environment but also for your budgets. The campaign drives a positive message through championing interactive advertising at its best.”

The Facebook Live video can be viewed on Iceland’s Facebook page.

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