Rick Mathieson's Blog, page 14

GEN WOW Pop Quiz: AI-Generated Halloween Costumes, Deep Fakes & The Impact of GDPR

It's time for everybody's favorite quiz on recent news from the intersection of marketing, media, tech and pop-culture. Good luck!

1. The New York Times recent reporting on The Spooky Side of Machine Learning, included a project in which artificial intelligence was trained to come up with Halloween costume ideas. Which of the following was not one of the costumes created by AI:

A. Zombie Schoolgirl

B. Toaster Boy

C. Ruth Bader Hat Guy

D. Frankenstein's Bunny

E. Vampire Baseball Clown

ANSWER: E      According to the Times, the neural network in the project produced different names at different stages or "epochs" of training that included Zombie Schoolgirl, Toaster Boy, Ruth Bader Hat Guy, Frankenstein's Bunny and Baseball Clown, to which we changed to Vampire Baseball Clown. One of our favorites was Donald McDonald, a cross between Ronald McDonald and the Donald. None of these, however, beat McGrimace dressed as Thanos at ComicCon.

 

2. Which of the following was not seen as a potential global development in next few years according to a new survey of C-level executives from AT Kearney:

A. Global 500 companies will be increasingly vulnerable to fake news campaigns

B. Corporate leaders will increasingly be expected to play roles in society beyond narrow corporate interests

C. Backlash against GDPR in the will inspire other countries to slow down efforts to expand privacy regulations

D. Extreme weather events will act as a drag on economic growth

Answer:  C     According to eMarketer reporting on a study titled "2018 Views from the C-Suite: An Annual Survey of Global Business Executives" from AT Kearney, each of these is something C-suite executives expect to see in the next few years - except for item C. Instead of a backlash against GDPR, the survey finds executives believe GDPR will inspire other countries to expand privacy regulations. Case in point: California's Consumer Privacy Act will have a dramatic impact on how tech companies, collect, store and use consumer data when it goes into effect in 2020.

 

3. Which of the following television shows had their premiere on October 25, 1971?

A. The Superfriends

B. Electric Company

C. Sigmund and the Sea Monsters

D. The Brady Kids Go to Rehab

Answer: B     The Electric Company debuted on October 25, 1971 and starred heavy hitters from stage, screen and improv���including established stars like Rita Moreno, as well as lesser known performers like a guy named Morgan Freeman who went on do a few things after leaving the show.

 

4. The Wall Street Journal recently reported on Deep Fakes, which are:

A. Fake news items created by the imaginary Deep State

B. Videos made with AI that make it possible to show anyone saying anything you want

C. Videos made with Ai that makes it possible to show anyone do anything you want

Answer: B     Deep fakes are videos that can be made to match people's facial expressions and voices to make it appear as if they are saying anything you want them to say (see the WSJ video above). In a society where reality is questioned, this technology may have enormous implications���further breaking people into tribes that only believe what they want.

 

2018's Top Halloween Costumes, McDonald's Goes All Banksy on Us (Podcast)

In an All-New Podcast Episode:

���� Are Muppets Asexual? Did Anybody Tell Ms. Piggie?

���� 2018���s Top Halloween Costumes & Stats

���� McDonald���s Goes All Banksy on Us

�������� Why Brands Should Take Side���or Not

Plus: ���Loaded Questions' & More!

2018's TOP HALLOWEEN COSTUMES, BANKSY + MICKY D'S & MORE

>>Listen on iTunes<<

(Approx. 25 min)

Gen Wow Pop Quiz: White Castle WTF Edition

Riddle us this, and then riddle us some more:

1. White Castle VP of Marketing Kim Bartley recently admitted to which of the following:

A.  Preferring Big Macs to Sliders

B.  Spending a night binging on a Castle Pack of waffle sliders, fish nibblers and beer

 C. Spending a year as a vegetarian

D. Spending too much on a new Maserati

Answer: C

According to Ad Age, White Castle CMO Kim Bartley admitted to recently spending a year as a vegetarian after White Castle's failed attempt to add salads and so-so results for a veggie slider. But it helped pave the way, apparently, for the far more successful Impossible Slider, which is made of a meat-like substance that's meat-free.

 

2. Last seen during the Super Bowl, this CPG brand campaign has made a return visit to the NFL during Thursday night football:

A. Pringles Stackers "Wow"

B. Tide "It's a Tide Commercial"

C. Mr. Clean's "Clean AF"

D. Hefty's "Cray-Cray Party Moms Get Turnt"

Answer: B

Tide is bringing "It's a Tide Commercial" to football fans. Because you know football fans are deeply concerned about their laundry detergent .

 

3. This Halloween, US consumers are expected to:

A. Tune in for the 29th edition of the Simpson's "Halloween Treehouse of Horror"

B. Tune in for the 30th edition of the Simpson's "Halloween Treehouse of horror

C. Spend $3.2 billion on costumes led by 1. Princesses, 2 Superheroes, 3 Batman characters and 4 Star Wars characters

D. Spend nearly $2.6 billion on such delicacies as Snickers, Reese's, M&Ms and Coffee Makes Me Poop Gum

E. All the above, except for A

F. All the above, except for D

Answer: E

All of the above except for A. This is the 29th edition of the Simpson's "Halloween Treehouse of Horror," and according to the National Retail Federation, US consumers will spend $3.2 billion on Halloween costumes. Plus: they will spend $2.6 billion on candy���including Snickers, Reese's, M&M and such novelty candies as Coffee Makes Me Poop Gum, Bacon and Cheese Flavored Crickets, and National Embarrassmints. In all, US consumers will send $9 billion on Halloween crap this year.

 

4. According to a recent ADWEEK article entitled, "How Mr. Rogers Taught Me Everything I Need to Know about Marketing," which of the following is not one of those pearls of wisdom:

A. Be inclusive of ideas, differences of opinion and ways to get things done

B. Learn to apologize for hurt feelings, misunderstandings and problems requiring remediation

C. Learn to apologize for your stupid ideas

D. Learn to apologize for your stupid ideas, especially the one you had last week

E. Both C and D, but definitely not A and B

Answer: E

The article included such Mr. Rogers-inspired advice for marketers as, "Be inclusive if ideas, differences of opinion and ways to get things done;" "Learn to apologize for hurt feelings, misunderstandings and problems requiring remediation;"as well as "Don't ever be afraid to admit you don't know," "Be kind," and more.

 

5. A new consumer gadget called Portal is which of the following:

A. A new video chat device from Facebook

B. The second sign of the Apocalypse

C. A new video chat device from Facebook that uses AI to react to callers' movements by automatically panning in and zooming out and adjusting sound levels

D. A new chat device from Facebook that uses Amazon Alexa, thereby positioning the devices as competitors to Google Home and Apple's HomePod.

E. A, C and D

F. A, C, D and B depending on your point of view

Answer: E or F

Portal is a new video chat device from Facebook that could transform chat and even social media by bringing it into the living room. Or maybe it's this year's version of the Facebook Phone that took the nation by storm. It uses AI to react to callers' movements by automatically panning in and zooming out and adjusting sound levels. It also uses Amazon Alexa, thereby positioning the devices as a competitor to Google Home and Apple's HomePod. Given the fun we've all had with Cambridge Analytica and other incidents in recent times, it could very well be the second sign of the Apocalypse, depending on your point of view.

 

CHEETOS: Orange is the New WTF (Video)

Cheetos is having a moment with the success of its recent pop-up restaurants in New York City and Los Angeles.

In New York, The Spotted Cheetah booked all 300 seats, and a 1,000 person waiting list for its three-day pop-up, which served delicacies such as White Cheddar Mac N' Cheetos. In LA, The Flamin' Hot Spot played up Flamin' Hot Cheetos-themed dishes, including the Hot Cheetos Burrito. 

In terms of novelty, the stunt was spot on, pardon the pun. And let's face it: Marketing is no longer just about engagement or interaction. It's about experiences. And with tastes, sounds and more, this Cheetos pop-up restaurant idea has legs.

Learn more about Rick Mathieson and iMathieson:

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Things Our Grandkids Won't Believe We Said in 2018

From an episode of Rick & Rick from earlier this year:  Rick Mathieson & Rick Wootten talk  about what data now shows IHOP'S (sorry, Denny's). Plus: Things our grandkids will be amazed that people said in 2018.

Approx: 24 min

(This content for US audiences. Note that SoundCloud uses cookies for analytics per their privacy policy.) 

 

Burger King Brings AI-Fueled Hilarity to its TV Spots (Video)

Copywriters the world over can breathe a sigh of relief: AI won't be taking their jobs���at least not yet.

In a new campaign, Burger King demonstrates what happens when TV commercials are written by a machine learning algorithm with "advanced pattern recognition capabilities." Let's just say it's not what one might expect given all the hype around AI these days.

Then again, how else would you get lines like, "The chicken crossed the road to become a sandwich,"  "The Whopper lives in a bun mansion, just like you,"  and "Math is tasty ... eat the math. BK logo appears."

On top of its recent "Whopper Neutrality" and "Chick Tax" stunts, the King is on a role. It's secret? According to the brand, it's all about learning from hackers to establish what it calls "brand relevance."

Tasty, indeed.

Watch more of the commercials, here.

Learn more about Rick Mathieson and iMathieson:

Join our LinkedIn Group

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Listen on iTunes

 

2030 Job Titles That Don't Yet Exist���and Lessons BK Learned from Hackers

In an episode from July, Rick Mathieson and Rick Wootten discuss the hot topics in the week that was in marketing, media and pop-culture, including:

��� IHOB, Revisited (:30)

��� Have the 'Star Wars' movies been sidelined? (1:53)

��� Summer box office roundup (6:40)

��� Marvel stars who weren't Marvel fans growing up (this is gonna hurt) (8:06)

��� Blast from the past: An IBM portable computer spot from 1975 (this hurts, too) (9:40)

��� New augmented reality business cards (12:52)

��� 2030 job titles that don't exist���yet (14:20)

��� Lessons Burger King learned from hackers (18:00)

 

(For US audiences; Soundcloud uses cookies)

The Tech Marketers Love vs. the Tech Consumers Want

In a all new podcast,  Rick Mathieson and Rick Wootten talk:

Netflix's hit series, Altered Carbon: It's not as far fetched as you may think (:36)

How to live inside HBO's "WestWorld" at SXSW (20:15)

KFC's Royal FCK-up (5:20)

NASA's new Coca-Cola Insta-Slushie (10:28)

The disconnect between the tech marketers love and what consumers actually want (6:24)

Whether brands really need a "voice agency of record (15:00)

Plus a whole lot more

 Or listen on iTunes:

Rick&Rick-Peak Smartphone Altered Carbon & More

 Meet RICK MATHIESON and RICK WOOTTEN

Rick & Rick: The One with the Super Bowl Ad Trends 2018 (Podcast)

It's a Rick & Rick Rewind back to Super Bowl Sunday and the show we recorded the morning of the big game. In a special expanded episode, Rick Mathieson and Rick Wootten tackle:

Who we think will win the year's biggest games���football and advertising
Whether the estimated $5.2 million cost to run a 30-second commercial is even worth it
What research says about Super Bowl ROI and what the money would buy you in digital media
Super Bowl ad trends leading into kick-off���the viral videos, social media plays, teasers and more
Digital game plans from Pepsi and Mercedes���from virtual reality to branded mobile games
Our favorite spots and what we make of them

Some of the spots we talk about in this episode:

Amazon: Alexa Loses Her Voice

Doritos Blaze vs. Mt. Dew Ice

Avocados from Mexico

Jack in the Box: Martha Stewart

Toyota: Good Odds

Pringles: Flavor Stacking

 PLUS: Learn more about RICK MATHIESON and RICK WOOTTEN.

The One With Forced Super Bowl Memes, Polarizing Brands & Gen Z Slang

What makes a Super Bowl meme most?

In the latest episode of Rick & Rick Rick Mathieson and Rick Wootten look at Pringles' and Skittles' efforts to manufacture memes in their Super Bowl ads this year.

We'll also take a look at the brands Republicans, Democrats and independents love (to hate).

Plus: Burger King pulls off one whopper of an adverprank with its take down of the FCC's repeal of net neutrality rules.

Oh, and don't forget research on why Marvel's movies are so much better than DC movies���and a new translation guide for Gen Z. It all starts here:

Or listen on iTunes: The One with Super Bowl Memes, Polarizing Brands, Gen Z Slang & More

(Approx 12 mins)

 

PLUS: We'd love to hear from you���leave comments here on the blog, or at SoundCloud here.

And Learn more about RICK MATHIESON and RICK WOOTTEN.