We were impressed this week by two institutions who turned to technology to communicate their messages in new ways; one via a giant billboard, and the other with special online banner ads.
First up, the Uni. of Engineering and Tech in Peru set about attracting its newest cohort of applicants by setting up a giant billboard, in a parched town surrounded by desert. But it is not any old billboard. It has been built with technology that uses reverse-osmosis to retrieve moisture from the air, providing thousands of litres of fresh drinking water to local residents. Point beautifully made; applications to the Uni are up 28%.
And we also liked an effort by Dubai-based newspaper Khaleej Times, who set about making the point that relying on social media delivered news is not foolproof. Aiming at a youthful social audience, a team of journalists operated 4 hours a day on an ‘opinionated banner’. People were encouraged to upload an image, and within moments, the journos returned it with a ludicrous headline and an invitation to visit the newspaper to get real facts. Nice.
