A&L;, Microsoft Tout Liquid Motion on the Web
Anderson & Lembke, San Francisco, launches a campaign for Microsoft's Liquid Motion today with a series of interactive animated web banners designed to highlight the advantages of Liquid Motion over Java. Captured in the banners are scenarios of a chicken crossing a road, a fly being swatted, car chases and a game of pool.
Liquid Motion (version 1.0), a web animation tool that lets users create and publish web animation via point and click, is being targeted both to novice users and web professionals, says Glen Sheehan, A&L's associate creative director. The campaign hopes to let the product sell itself. "Potential users can immediately recognize what Liquid Motion has to offer," Sheehan says. "The Liquid Motion banners are a great example of what we call 'compelling interaction,' which means they invite participation in the communication."
A&L also believes the technology will help expand the realm of Internet advertising. "This opens up [possibilities] on the web," Sheehan says. "We've seen use of Java and Shockwave, but things are changing rapidly and now we have another tool available. That gives us more opportunities as advertisers." The initial creative executions, which include "Pool Table," "Fly," "Car" and "Chicken," each have the tagline, "Easy Animation for Every Web," and a call to download a free trial of Liquid Motion. Microsoft's Desktop Applications Division initially approached A&L to build two banner ads. A&L created five and sold Microsoft on four of them.
The first phase of the online campaign ends in August. The media buy includes AudioNet, Builder.com, CNet, Gamecenter, ProjectCool, Web Review and Warner Brothers. Some of the Liquid Motion banner ads cost more to place than typical banner ads, Sheehan notes, because of the nature of the animation and programming behind it. "This is a learning process on both sides," he adds. "We're showing new types of advertising they can put on the sites."
Hoffman Jacks in From Singapore
Here's the first update from the road. As we discussed, I'll shoot updates to you on your Mondays and Wednesdays while I'm on the road. As far as mechanics, I'm going to provide "snapshots" on different topics taking the attitude that, per your request, everything (anecdotes, government macro trends, IT trade community, etc.) is fair game. I figured I'd provide 4-6 items per submission, leaving you room to axe some. ... keeping the ones you deem most interesting.