Maybe I'm Gravy

Hyundai.com

Hyundai had 5 spots play during the Super Bowl and they all led to the newly redesigned Hyundai.com.

 

 

The new “Hyundai Digital Experience” is designed to be more than just a shopping tool.  It's a gateway to what sets the Hyundai brand apart. With almost 3 million visitors every month and growing, we worked to improve the site both functionally and aesthetically. One week after Hyundai received a #3 OEM website ranking, they launched an upgraded site that’s brighter and more premium, with the goal of reaching that #1 spot, and improving perception and ultimately conversion.

Key to the experience, the new design and tone of voice had an impact. The new New Thinking section received 4,000 visits per day. There was a 46% increase in consumers going from the home page to the Build & Price page.

 

 

Chew For the Loot Facebook App

Replace your boring pearly whites with a shiny, blinged out grill. Want to taste the money? Head to the Facebook app.

Gravy with a side of moustache

WHEAT THINS

I'll say this: doing things is great. In theory anyway. In real life, there's usually red tape in the way. But ya know what, red tape didn''t stop the Berlin Wall from being torn down and it didn't stop the riots in Eqyot from toppling their 30-year-old government and it didn't stop Kim Kardashian for getting married for 72 days. So the Do-Minatrix sweeps in and tells you to cut the red tape in your life and see what's on the other side. Who knows, maybe you'll like what's out there.

New work from the Wheat Thins team at AKQA New York. I'm a fan and I'm looking forward to more advice from the 'stache.

 

Check out the Facebook app.

Follow the Do-Minatrix on Twitter.

Watch more of the Do-Minatrix on YouTube.

 

Google Think Insights

Google collects a whole lot of data. They're deeply embedded in the world of consumer behavior and digital media, and now they've created a site that shares what they’ve learned with the rest of us: Google Think Insights. The site includes studies, videos and more, all neatly categorized by industry, demographic and objective. Helping marketers take on the online world, it's a rare look inside the powerful resources of Google, one that helps marketers take on the online world.

Here are some of the videos we created at AKQA.

Time for Mobile is Now:

Moms Know Search

 

Holiday Shopping:

 

From Online to In-store:

 

 

Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project

Smirnoff set out to show the world how other cultures party with the Nightlife Exchange Project. Fourteen countries participated in this experiment in global nightlife culture. Each country's event featured the culture and nightlife of a sister city. People in Miami could party like a Londoner. Canadians got their fill of India. Brazil, Australia, South Africa, Thailand, Argentina, Germany, and Ireland are some other countries that swapped. See where all the exchanges went down here.

Fans contributed thoughts on what makes their country’s nightlife special using a Facebook application. Each country had a celebrity curator who sifted through the ideas and selected the most highly-rated suggestions. The best of each country's music, food, dance moves, fashion, bands and DJ’s were packed into a crate, which acted as a teaser before the big event. Finally, on November 27th, 2010, the world swapped nights. MTV covered the whole event.

                              

Project by AKQA NY and JWT NY.

Post on Modern

Modern Copywriter is exactly what it sounds like. A blog that links to the portfolios of copywriters. Created by creative director Jason Siciliano. One day last week Modern Copywriter decided to feature my site. Here's the post. Thanks Jason!

Here are some kind words from Modern Copywriter:

"Nathan is a copywriter at AKQA NY. I learn something from almost every portfolio site I visit. From Nathan’s, I learned exactly what I’m going to do in about 10 years, when my daughter starts dating. (Portfolio: TV/Radio: first spot) Thank you, Nathan."

My-Coach Sleep

Problem: Lots of people have trouble sleeping, but taking sleeping pills are a quick fix, not a permanent solution.

Solution: Develop a web experience that teaches people how to change their bad habits so they can start getting a better night's sleep.

My-Coach Sleep isn't about getting people to take sleeping pills. It offers content that helps people who have sleep problems get a better night's sleep. There's access to a 6-week online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy program that helps people change a lifetime of habits. It features seven articles that cover different topics related to sleeplessness. There is calming music that help people relax.

This site is one of the first examples of a J&J brand using social media to share the articles. It is also the first in a long series of My-Coach sites aimed to help people improve their lives beyond relying on a product.

People access the site from the product itself. Every box of Tylenol PM drives to My-Coach Sleep, and there is a code on the package that gives users free access to the workshop.

Can't sleep? Check out My Coach Sleep.

 

CREDITS

Client: Tylenol
Agency: AKQA/NY
Group Creative Director: Paul Collins
Art Director: Jessica Brazen
Designer: Evan McAlister
Copywriter: Nathan Archambault
Sr. Account Director: Bonnie Chu
Sr. Account Executive: Mary Lee
Project Manager: Carmen Rincon
Design & Animation: Gasket Studios

 

 

Get Schooled Website

I was really excited and proud to work on the website for this joint project by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Viacom. While I only wrote for the website and a few PSA scripts, the overall scope of the project is just huge. The site was launched via a half hour TV show that aired simultaneously on every Viacom channel. Obama, Lebron and a host of other celebs were involved. The whole project is being backed by PC pioneer turned education reformer Bill Gates. If anyone has the money and resources to change our entire country's education system, it's him.   

getschooled.com was built as a resource for anyone and everyone looking to start fresh. From inner city highs school dropouts to upper class college grads who are unhappy with their career. But the key was not just presenting the information, but presenting it in an engaging, intuitive way that simplified not just the process of getting more education, but the process of learning where to start. The site is populated with a constant influx of new videos featuring celebs and athletes talking about the importance of staying in school and getting an education. There are two unique ways to research different careers, by Things I Like and People I Admire.

Things I Like

People I Admire

My mom has been on the school committee for years, giving me an insider's view of the average town's school system. I'd been against the whole No Child left behind thing since Day 1. It didn't help that it was Bush's idea. But the whole system seemed flawed in the first place. Our country has forgotten what school is all about. It's not about testing and grades. It's about finding a path. Today there's too much emphasis on testing and not enough effort put into developing a career path for students. Teachers are forced to change curriculum and teach test answers instead of life answers. Hopefully Get Schooled makes a difference in not just how many people seek to further their education, but how the education system works in our country.

Get a Grip with Toyota

Here's a banner I did last winter while freelancing at Saatchi for Toyota's line of all-wheel drive vehicles. The ad interacts with your mouse, as the plane of the road parallels your movement across the screen. It's a straightforward and non-obtrusive way to demonstrate the benefits of AWD.

Crappy Workout Gear Gets Called Out

Freelancing can be a strange game. Once the concepting and writing is done, I move onto the next gig. Sometimes I don't stick around to see work produced and sometimes I don't even know if work ends up being produced at all. So I was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled upon some CW-X ads that I helped develop over a year ago. I'd clicked on a link for a Smith & Wolensky ad that features a hilarious and timely Steak for Stock program. The work was featured in the recent work section of walrus' site, a great small agency. I scrolled down to see what else they had been up to lately and something caught my attention. An idea looked vaguely familiar... sweat pants with leg holes... a muscle shirt for optimum chest hair flaunting. It was a campaign that compared CW-X tights to normal workout gear with call-outs to CW-X's superior features and the "features" of lesser workout gear. I'd been a big fan of these ads back then and I'm very glad to see that they've been produced.

 

Another cool thing about CW-X: It's a product I love and I'd been using it before I started working on it. They make the best long johns for skiing - they truly keep warmth in, no matter how cold it is outside, and they're good for your muscles. My muscles can personally vouch for this.