Tag: SXSW

SXSW 2015: The Six Most-Talked About Digital Brand Activations

Posted on by Angel Mendozza

As our time here at the legendary interactive festival winds down, here is a look back at the 10 most talked-about brand activations:

  1. Studio uses Tinder to promote Ex Machina
    Some festival-goers using Tinder were matched with Ava, a 25-year-old Tinder bot created to promote Alex Garland’s sci-fi thriller Ex Machina, which premiered at SXSW.
  1. Meerkat breaks out
    FOMO is never higher than during SXSW, making this live-streaming app the perfect way to instantly drop in on celebrities, founders, and brands during the festival.
  1. Mophie uses St. Bernards to search and rescue owners with near-dead devices
    Through a partnership with the St. Bernard Rescue Foundation, nine full-size dogs and three puppies were used to deliver Mophie chargers—stored inside brandy barrel necklaces—to attendees in dire need of a charge.
  1. Lyft integrates One Touch PayPal into its interface
    As part of a promotional campaign during SXSW, riders who paid with PayPal received a $5 discount on their first ten rides as well as a chance to hitch a ride in a Ferrari 458 Italia, 1963 Bentley, Tesla Model S, or another noteworthy ride.
  1. Game of Thrones allows attendees to create digital art
    GoT encouraged attendees step on a stage, grab a (wooden) sword, and then go nuts on digital targets.
  1. USA Networks leverages beacons at SXSW for the “Mr. Robot” premiere
    The network created custom beacon alerts at various locations through the official SXSW app, rewarding festival-goers with free food and drinks, courtesy of “Mr. Robot.”

 

Event Recap: SXSW Accelerator, Part 3

Posted on by Angel Mendozza

See other highlights from the accelerator: Part 1 and Part 2

German startups had quite the presence across the pitch sessions the Lab attended on Sunday. Some of the most notable ones included:

  • NavVis: An app that enables indoor 3D turn-by-turn navigation thanks to indoor maps created by a Segway-type trolley. The trolley is equipped with scanners and cameras to scan and record building dimensions.
  • Tinnitracks: Developers of a music therapy treatment that helps lower hyperactivity of abnormal nerve cells for people with tinnitus. The subscription-based platform lets users upload and listen to their favorite music to provide relief. Tinnitracks’ secret sauce is being able to reformat the frequency of uploaded music.
  • Trip Rebel: A site aiming to be the go-to destination to find the best deals for hotel rooms. The process is quite simple and automatic: a user goes on the site and books a hotel reservation, and Trip Rebel keeps track of the reservation for price reductions until check-in day. If the price drops, Trip Rebel automatically re-books the same room at the new rate and refunds the difference to the user’s credit card.
  • Minubo: A dashboard that integrates fragmented data to give retailers a holistic view of their omni-channel strategy, enabling retailers to better allocate marketing budgets, identify unprofitable channels, and understand the customer’s lifetime values across all channels.

A few other startups from other countries are also of note:

  • Biobots.io: A cost-effective 3D bioprinter that research scientists can use for regenerative medicine procedures such as tissue or even organ replacement.
  • MobileODT: A mobile colposcope powered by an Android smartphone to detect cervical cancer. The mobile attachment is one-tenth the price and size of traditional colposcope devices.

Event Recap: SXSW Accelerator, Part 2

Posted on by Angel Mendozza

Missed Part 1 of the SXSW Accelerator? Catch up here.

Part 2 of the SXSW 2015 Accelerator Pitch-off not only featured startups from diverse industries, but also had a special guest MC, Sir Mix-A-Lot. During this session, four startups had two minutes to present before entering a ten-minute Q&A with the judges. Featured startups included:

  • CreoPop: An innovative 3D printing pen that enables anyone to literally print what they are thinking in real-time. Due to the company’s unique approach of UV laser and light sensitive resin, the “ink” comes out cool, making it safe for kids. Its inks can also be modified to glow in the dark, act as a magnet, become stretchy, and more fun tweaks.
  • GroundFloor: The first micro-lending community for real estate, similar to a LendingClub for real estate. Through the platform, lenders earn anywhere between 6% to 26% interest on projects. Over the past six months, GroundFloor has funded over $1 million worth of real estate transactions, signed up thousands of investors, and closed over $300,000 in loans.
  • Ledger Wallet: An external device (USB) that is used to secure Bitcoin transactions; it’s applying EMV chip technology to the ever growing Bitcoin world.
  • ProtonMail: An end-to-end encryption email service provider. Accounts are fully backwards compatible, so users can continue to send and receive emails from friends who aren’t using ProtonMail.

 

We’ll continue our reporting on SXSW tomorrow.

Event Recap: SXSW Accelerator, Part 1

Posted on by Angel Mendozza

On Saturday, the IPG Media Lab attended the SXSW 2015 Accelerator Pitch-off , which was all about wearable technologies. During the event, judges with VC and startup backgrounds determine which finalist has the most innovative platform or product. Our personal favorites included:

  • SolePower: Their “EnSoles” turn footsteps into a power source and enabling mobile recharging in a snap.
  • Tinitell: This affordable wristphone and GPS-tracker for kids is equipped with a speaker and microphone, Bluetooth, CPU, and voice recognition software that enables children to make a call, from an approved list, by saying the name they want to call.
  • Waverly Labs: A smart earpiece for business professionals that functions as a “personal assistant,” advanced communication tool for groups and teams, and a universal language translation device.

 

Keep checking ipglab.com for more updates from the floor of SXSW 2015.

SXSW 2015: Two Ways To Stream The Festival

Posted on by Lab Team

Read original story on: Forbes

Can’t make it down to Austin but still want to keep up with this year’s festival? Now you can stream it easily on your laptop or TV. Besides launching the online content streaming channel, SXSW On, to cover key events happening all around SXSW, the festival also partnered up with Roku to create a new dedicated SXSW channel on the best-selling set-top box.

Header image courtesy of sxsw.com