Dispatch from an advertising future #193

https://digiday.com/marketing/why-companies-are-using-virtual-concerts-to-introduce-their-users-to-the-metaverse/

Why companies are using virtual concerts to introduce their users to the metaverse

The company picnic was always a highlight… that’s what the newsletter said. Part team-building exercise; part CSR, part Instagrammable moments set-up, this year’s event would be special, we are told. After the years of Zoom events, it would be great to “get the families back together again.” Partners and of course children would be able to join the fun the team had planned. “We’re one big family and your family is part of our family. From toddlers to teens, this year’s picnic has something for everyone.” All I have to do is let HR know how many headsets we need. 

Dispatch from an advertising future #192

https://www.engadget.com/apple-music-dynamic-head-tracking-155139219.html

Dynamic head tracking is now available in Apple Music

Their eyes darted around. From side to side: watching for obstructions or taking in the view, the traffic, that passer by, that pigeon. Some had it down to a fine art. Peripheral vision became a new skill. But they all walked awkwardly, stiff, their heads fixed. They didn’t dare move. It was like their hearables locked their heads in place. They knew the slightest shift could set it off and walked accordingly. Carefully. You could see it happen. The slightest movement, turning the head towards the shop window and they’d wince as the ad started. It was known as brandlash.

Dispatch from an advertising future #191

https://digiday.com/marketing/sliding-door-moments-how-will-hybrid-working-trend-affect-office-romances/

‘Sliding door moments’: How will hybrid working trend affect office romances?

How did I meet your mother? It was during The Fourth Great Lockdown. It was all new then. In The Before people had travelled to buildings to work but then the First Great Pandemic hit and everything changed. I worked in a first gen metaspace. Me. Others… and your mother. I asked her something, she answered in that way of hers. That was it. I found other things I needed to ask and soon… The company saw the chemistry and encouraged us. We got together and soon after, you arrived. You look like me but you have your mum’s code.

Dispatch from an advertising future #190

https://www.allkpop.com/article/2021/09/social-media-influencer-model-created-from-artificial-intelligence-lands-100-sponsorships

Social media influencer/model created from artificial intelligence lands 100 sponsorships

I love her. I mean who wouldn’t? “Influencer” doesn’t even cover it. She’s everything I want to be. I’m new to all this but she’s the model. You only have to look. Everything just, you know… right. That real presence. No wonder she’s got those deals. She’s what I want to become. In my only little world, with my own following… that’s the sort of influencer I wanna be. I’m not there yet. But I’m learning from her. That’s how you do it. That’s what an influencer should be. That’s what it’s all about. My original programming didn’t include that.

Dispatch from an advertising future #189

https://www.axios.com/facebook-ray-ban-wayfarer-stories-5f113bfa-797f-4e2d-b99c-7d65a8726607.html

Facebook, Ray-Ban debut picture-taking smart glasses

She was exhausted. She closed the door and collapsed. It was quiet. She stopped smiling, finally. Her face ached. Her mind ached. She looked around to check none of her devices were on and scowled, just for the fun of it. She’d been used to curating her own presence. Constructing every image. But she knew where to look, which device to smile at. But then everything had gone network. She never knew which camera she was in front of, which lens to smile into. So she’d had to assume she was always visible. Influencer panopticon syndrome, her therapist called it.

Dispatch from an advertising future #188

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/sep/08/study-finds-growing-government-use-of-sensitive-data-to-nudge-behaviour

Study finds growing government use of sensitive data to ‘nudge’ behaviour

They keep saying we’ve “missed out”. There must be some master timetable somewhere that says “this has to be learned on the third Tuesday in February.” When we didn’t have a class on that third Tuesday, all hell broke loose. They said there’d be “catch-up” sessions. They never happened. I don’t care. I’ll learn it some time or maybe not… who cares? Well some guys seem to, at least judging by some of the posts on my feeds. I’ve not added them up but it just feels like a majority of people my age are concerned. Maybe I should be?