Papercraft the hit summer pastime, marketing tool

Written by: Rebecca Milner on August 22, 2008 at 12:05 am | In MARKETING IDEAS | 3 Comments

We first mentioned free, printable papercraft designs when we introduced Motomachi’s website, you know the guy who takes a picture of a vending machine everyday? Due to the popularity of his site, he began offering a downloadable paper model of his well-documented machine.

Now with the hot summer months in full tilt (meaning bored children and adults alike trapped in air conditioned boxes watching Olympic softball), we’re seeing a number of papercraft sites on the net.

Brands like Nissan and Yamaha hope to score young fans with free papercraft versions of their vehicles, while Cannon (remember they make printers too) offers popular summer themes, like beetles.

Blogs are also a platform for hobbyists to show off their original work; for example, check out this impressive tribute to Rilakkuma’s 5th anniversary.

One of the most talked about on the internet papercraft downloads however, comes from JR West Japan and is hardly new.

What began 10 years ago as one model, the Nozomi Shinkansen, has since grown to over 40, including not just a variety of trains but also well-loved stations and backgrounds for creating whole dioramas.

It may sound like a niche hobby, however, the site recorded over 1,000 downloads one day in July this summer. What makes the JR items standout, and helps explain why they are enjoying a resurgence in popularity, is the quality and the elaborate attention to detail that makes these papercrafts convincing, and charming, models of the original.

Of course, Japan has a long history of papercraft, with the art of origami, but this new free download trend is a clever blend of contemporary technology and branding.

Tags: Cannon, DIY, JR, kids, Nissan, Summer, Web, Yamaha
Category: MARKETING IDEAS
Other categories: DIGITAL LIFE, LIFESTYLE / FASHION, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

Ran’s Night QR code Body Rhythm monitor for women

Written by: Michael Keferl on June 2, 2008 at 9:04 pm | In DIGITAL LIFE, LIFESTYLE / FASHION | 2 Comments

Body health monitors, whether built into scales or even mobile phones, are quite popular in Japan. Typically these are used to keep tabs on body fat or “body age”, but Ran’s Night is an original concept made specifically for women, and uses QR codes to capture the data for analysis.

Ran’s Night is designed to keep track of a woman’s monthly cycles by monitoring subtle changes in body temperature (between 0.3 ℃ ~ 0.5 ℃), and displays the previous night’s temperature on-screen, while also saving the data from the previous week. However, the full longterm picture comes with integration online.

While some stats can be read on the device itself, the long-term summary is found by mobile or PC on Ran’s Story. Each morning the user scans the daily QR code on the screen, which then inputs that night’s data into her personal profile and creates graphs and charts along with other information (such as weight) input manually. Thus, over time, it’s possible to visualize monthly cycles and better predict future period strength, PMS, ovulation, and other events.

There’s also an SNS component, as Ran’s Night also works to create a balanced life for all days by hosting a community at Ran’s Story to provide advice and information, and share experiences between users.

Though currently sold out, Ran’s Night will be available again soon for about $125.

Tags: Mobile, QR Codes, Ran's Night, Web
Category: DIGITAL LIFE, LIFESTYLE / FASHION
Other categories: MARKETING IDEAS, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS