By 2050, it is anticipated that a full 75% of the world’s population will be living in cities. To this end, technology company IBM is investing heavily in systems and algorithms to help city leaders make urban areas function more effectively.
Central to this is the belief that city planning and design should have its citizens in mind. The Smarter Cities project aims to encourage ‘smarter thinking’ by involving the people who live in the cities in question.
Rather than just creating the usual suite of interruptive advertising units, IBM launched a series of outdoor installations that also function as useful surfaces people can sit on, take cover under or push their stroller over – a perfect way of demonstrating the brand’s purpose.
The ads also encourage people to share their ideas on how they can improve their neighborhood, by signing up to a virtual community and sharing ideas, photos and video.
BRAND UTILITY
Rather than just inter-rupting consumers’ lives, brands are increasingly looking to provide useful services or applications that give people something they actually need – without demanding an immediate return.
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