Denuo - denuology.com

I moved into a new apartment about a year ago, and I receive an insane amount of direct mail. It’s usually addressed to “Or Current Resident,” – and I’ve gotten enough of it that I’m well versed in the rather unique tactics used in the space.

Despite this direct mail expertise, I was still amazed at this particular piece from AT&T. I’ve scanned in the envelope and the insert for your enjoyment. Click for more direct mail strangeness.

I’m in the 5th of 6 modules of the Berlin School of Creative Leadership. As you can imagine, we spend lots of time on management processes and models in tumultuous environments. My friend and classmate (Communications Director, Omnicom, Copenhagen) regularly makes demands for guidelines and recently asked for a set any business can apply to ensure they’re perpetually in beta. She did so a couple times yesterday, so I thought I’d get the ball rolling on her behalf. I do so knowing full well there isn’t an answer, but some trends do emerge when you start looking the most flexible of companies.

The executive summary:

[1] Listen.
[2] Know your company’s purpose and don’t change it.
[3] Empower employees to co-pilot the mother ship.
[4] Assume everyone is a potential collaborator.
[5] Place lots of bets and be ready to double down.

Authenticity is a factor in gaming that had to wait for the technology to catch up to it. In the early days, the two blips on the screen could easily service as “ping pong paddles,” but not as something like a real-life personality or established fantasy characters (like the infamous dragon-duck from the Atari 2600 classic, “Adventure”). Now that consoles can push life-like experiences in both graphics and immersion, games are held to a higher standard of authenticity, whether its how a receiver catches a pass or a comic-book hero destroys a building. There’s no room for scuttling details away because of technological limitations. Lucky for us, developers are rising to the occasion, earning success through remaining authentic to the core values behind their titles and representing them in the unique ways that gaming allows.

Want to do something “viral” that “creates buzz”? Here’s how:

1) Hire 50+ dancers to show up at a crowded public hot spot
2) Turn on music
3) Dance party time
4) Smile at your brilliance when you see the crowd’s “I’m telling everyone I know” reactions
5) Record event with strategically placed randoms with handycams (assures authentic, not corporate-produced look)
6) Upload to YouTube

While I’d like to say it’s time for a new promotional stunt idea, the original and knockoffs have each delivered both eyeballs and pass along.

This month’s issue of PLAYED comes to you on the eve of E3, the storied gaming expo that’s coming back into the limelight bigger and better than previous years. Our team takes a look at the history and relevance of the event, along with articles about film and games working together to create unique narrative experiences, easier ways to produce and distribute machinima, and whether or not Apple is headed full-steam into the world of gaming.