The advertising space during Superbowl Sunday is famously the most expensive on the planet.

The price of a 30-second slot can run to more than $2.5million – a figure only justified by the event’s equally gargantuan viewing figures. Last year’s Superbowl officially became the most watched piece of television in history with a staggering 111 million viewers, so there’s no denying the prestige of the slot. However, when you’re spending over $83,000 a second, you’d better make sure that what you’ve got is worth watching.

Historically, Superbowl ads tend to be some of the most flamboyant and outlandish ever created. This year, however, it seems major advertisers are jumping aboard the social bandwagon, using interactive methods to bridge the gap between traditional TV advertising and its cutting edge digital counterpart.

Outside Line’s own Ronnie Crosbie has just written a piece on the subject for online marketing gospel The Wall. Click here to read it in full and see what everyone will be talking about come Sunday 5 Feb.

Around the start of any new year it’s customary for agencies to dig out their marketing tarot cards and come up with a few predictions on what they think will be big news over the next 12 months.

Well, if you’ll allow us to return to the topic one last time you’ll see there’s one trend that’s already showing signs of being the true dominant force in digital this year – a trend that’s far bigger than any single platform or flashy new website.

In 2012, the dominant theme will be conflict.

Three’s A Crowd…

It’s an ironic turn for an industry based around sharing and being “social”. Up until this point, Facebook, Twitter and, to a lesser extent, Google+ have all existed alongside each other in relative peace, occasionally poking their head up above the parapet to acknowledge the presence of another new arrival, but rarely anything more than that. However, recent posturing from all three major players would suggest that things are about to change.

The past five-to-ten years can be looked upon as a sort of ‘honeymoon period’, one in which social prospectors enjoyed unfettered growth without needing to really step on the toes of their competitors (the demise of MySpace notwithstanding). Now it seems as if the social landscape is approaching critical mass – a point at which the number of users willing to actively engage with social media reaches a plateau – and suddenly where there was once open-minded collectivism and mutual appreciation there is now increasing hostility, aggression and isolationism.

Take the recent (and unusually public) spat between Google and Twitter, for example. Google recently made headlines with the announcement of its ‘Search, Plus Your World’ initiative: a set of changes to its search algorithm that places added emphasis on Google+ pages within search results, effectively ‘favouritising’ them above content taken from the wider internet.

The revelation caused a tsunami of raised eyebrows among social media commentators and everyday internet users alike. Facebook engineers invented a tool to counteract some of the changes, but it was Twitter who came out as the most vocal critics, openly denouncing Search Plus in a letter to several major media outlets. This then prompted Google to issue a rather flippant rebuttal (via Google+, of course!), leaving professional relations between the two companies frosty at best.

Knives Out

In Google’s eyes, the shift to Search Plus is simply a move to keep them competitive, especially given Facebook’s increasingly cosy relationship with Microsoft’s Bing search engine. However, what Google appear to have failed to grasp is that this desire to compete is the very crux of their problem.

In the days before Google+, Google was largely an impartial observer in the great battle for social media supremacy – and rightly so. Now that they’ve waded into the ring brandishing their own platform, the delicate equilibrium has been unbalanced and defences are being raised on all fronts. Google might think this is game on, but in actual fact it will not end well for anyone, least of all them.

And here’s why: people place a huge amount of faith and trust in their search engine, relying on it to deliver the results they want without fuss. By taking the decision to actively reward their own pages above others, Google are undermining the very trust that is the lifeblood of their business – and once that trust is gone, it’s going to be very hard to win back.

Google hope that the move to Search Plus will force more brands to expand their presence on Google+, but it’s a dangerous gamble to make. While they dig their heels in and prepare for a long fight, there is absolutely no reason why a rival such as Bing couldn’t swoop in and take over the role of impartial search provider.

And it’s not like Google have much choice; after the unmitigated failure of both Buzz and Wave, there is a huge amount of professional credibility (not to mention money) riding on the success of Google+, and there is no way they are about to accept defeat lying down.

Ready To Rumble

So, it’s Google and Google+ in one corner, Facebook and Bing in the other, with Twitter flitting around the edges trying avoid catching a stray when the blows really start raining down. But where does that leave everyone else?

In the short term it looks like we’re all going to have to pay a bit of extra attention to Google+, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see the uptake of new pages rise dramatically among brands and users alike. The real question is just how long that uneasy state of affairs can last.

Brands can easily replicate action across two platforms simultaneously, but asking users to maintain an active presence across both Facebook and Google+ seems like a step too far, and there will likely be only one clear winner when the dust settles.

Who that winner is, we shall have to wait and see.

Ding ding, round one…

Some of our work is produced in collaboration with our digital studio, therefore a good understanding of interactive design and technology is essential.

Photography, film & directing experience will count in your favour.

Salary is 30 – 35 k.

Submissions without portfolio or showreel will not be considered.

Our Agency:

http://outsideline.co.uk/

Our video work:

http://vimeo.com/outsideline/videos

Please send all applications to adam[dot]alexandroni[at]outsideline.com

And we’re excited for what’s coming next. We’ve made a list of predictions on what will shape the digital environment in 2012.

Facebook Actions

Facebook is about to offer frictionless sharing by integrating the various actions users take across the web into the social network. Actions are similar to the ‘Like’ button on display but would include elements like ‘Read’, ‘Listen’, and ‘Watch’ – these are automatically posted on your timeline or news ticker.

Depending on how wide they open up the action functionality, it could lead to brands being able to take ownership of whole verbs specifically for their campaign.

Social Plugins and Aggregators

We’ll probably continue to see a rise in mobile services that plug into the existing social environment (like Flipboard, Path and Instagram). These types of aggregators play on the idea or thought that social media has evolved as a tool for the curation, distribution and sharing of current and news and events.

We may even see behemoths like Facebook fragment bits of their services into discreet apps (as they’ve already done with chat), letting you use the platform à la carte.

Mobile Wallets

It may be early days yet, but we believe the tap technology of Google Wallet and other mobile apps will catch on fast. Our Scandinavian correspondent reports that, in Stockholm, travel cards are fading away as people simply scan their phones to access public transport. In the UK, use of NFC (Near Field Communications) is set to boom as it is integrated across London 2012 sites.

Pinterest: the new social favourite

Both highly visual and addictive, one sharing tool that has caught our attention is Pinterest. The tool makes it a snap to share images, quotes, articles and products. It is also a lot more ‘credit friendly’ than Tumblr, tracking repins and where images originate.

According to Businessweek, traffic has increased sevenfold in the last five months, and recent investment in the company, means Pinterest is set to launch more features. Word has it that, in the near future, content shared on it will enjoy significant SEO value if tagged appropriately.

Google+

Will Google+ shake up social media in 2012 or will it just mess up the Internet? We see a lot of opportunity for Google+ to be used in interesting ways, but we think it needs some more dedicated development from Google’s team, otherwise it could go the way of Buzz.

Brands need to be aware that search engines evolve, social endorsements such as ‘plus ones’, ‘likes’ and ‘tweets’ can have real SEO value applied to them, as SERPs become tailored for individual users.

To promote Steven Soderbergh’s latest film, Contagion, microbiolgists and immunologists created a bacteria messageboard in an abandoned storefront window. On 28 August, two large petri dishes were inoculated with live bacteria including penicillin, mould and pigmented bacteria, and almost overnight have revealed the true Contagion.

This caused a pun-infection around the office that quickly spread until everyone was at it:

“Going viral” – Max

“Petri-fying” – Matt

“Whoever thought of that idea is one fungi.” – Jamie

“This makes marketing look diseasey” – Tom

Androp – ‘Bell’ via Rob

To promote their new single ‘Bell’, Androp have released this game which creates an animal from your tweet. The longer your tweet, the bigger the animal (from a mouse to a giraffe) and that becomes your character within the game… for every obstacle you hit you lose characters from your tweet. Try to get through the game with your tweet intact, or failing that, send a friend a nonsensical one.

ASOS Urban Tour via Wisker

We’re loving seeing the increased sophistication of interactive videos and this example to promote ASOS’ latest menswear line is a great example! These videos travel to different cities to showcase different subcultures of some of the world’s major cities… featuring dancers in London, to skaters in Paris.

Onefeat via Amy

Choose a mission. Do the feat. Share the greatness.

Variations of this have been done before, but this is the nicest version we’ve seen. Complete missions, post photos of yourself doing them and score points… and we all know points mean… very little, but it’s fun and you can compete with friends. Get involved.

The role includes overseeing all design elements of our video production, and some video editing (FCP advised).  Some of our work is produced in collaboration with our digital studio, therefore a good understanding of interactive design and technology is essential. Photography, film (even just DSLR) & directing experience will count in your favour.

Submissions without a portfolio or showreel will not be considered.

Our Agency ( Make sure you know what we do ) :

http://outsideline.co.uk/

Our Motion and Video Work (Look through these to make sure you are suitable):

http://vimeo.com/outsideline/videos/sort:plays

How to Apply

Please contact kris.cook@outsideline.com.

Beta [pronunciation like the old SEGA intro] trials are notoriously hard to get onto. The smart and talented folks at internet start-ups have a whole heap of things to consider when seeking people to test their product. Can you sacrifice the need for feedback in order to get maximum buzz from the cool kids? How many people do you invite without your company becoming last minute’s news?

So how do you become a beta tester? There’s definitely an element of luck involved. These are normal people you’re contacting when you request access. They might just like the cut of your jib at that exact moment. If there is an email option, always take it, and make sure you personalise your message.

If it’s purely about reputation and Klout (a realistic tool for start-ups to select beta testers) then a lot of us, myself included, wouldn’t stand a chance. But start-ups know they need people who will actually try their products. Can they expect decent feedback from someone so in demand for their influence 24/7? Demonstrating a genuine interest in what you are registering for and being prepared to give both positive and negative feedback is surely a key reason you are selected.

Recently I’ve been lucky enough to be included on two beta trials.

First up was the Forecast app for Android. Upon learning a colleague was using the iPhone equivalent, I was tweeted an Android version was coming soon. One email later and I was included on the trial.

Forecast is a nice extension to Foursquare. Using its API it allows you to Forecast when you’ll be at a Foursquare location. It’s a genuinely novel and useful app. Will it catch on? That all harks back to the debate we’ve always had raging about location based check-ins (I will continue to be a fence sitter). Being in the beta does let you see genuinely substantial changes being made at short notice. Your suggestions sometimes get considered and each version does show an improvement on the last. Forecast has improved their Android app on a near daily basis, which is great to see.

Vizualize.me – Firstly, annoying spelling for my UK spell check, but a really strong and visually appealing service. Sure to be popular, it syncs with your LinkedIn profile and instantly produces a series of funky looking CVs that you’ve always wanted, but always known you’re incapable of producing. Infographics have changed the way we look at many things. With the increasingly popular trend of sexing-up of the dull (CVs are rarely that interesting), it will get popular fast, but will need to produce more and more templates that are practical as well as nice to look at. It’s important that it remains new and unique rather than just becoming the new version of a Word template, and this is the kind of feedback I intend to give the creators.

Above all, be a good beta tester. For starters, playing around with the app will help a lot. Don’t ignore the opportunity you’ve been given and make sure you deliver some feedback. There’s probably nothing worse than not receiving anything from a tester. Assume your praise/criticism has never been noted before, at this stage the developers aren’t necessarily looking for you to massage their egos, instead they’re looking for ways to make their app even better, so be honest. It’ll make you feel like a pioneer, promise!

1. Cadbury Spots v Stripes Blippar App – A Game on Every Bar (via Max)

Cadbury’s fuel the rivalry between spots and stripes with their new augmented reality app using Blippar, and there’s not an AR tag in sight. Their use of image recognition provides a seamless game experience.

2. Switcheroo (via Amy)

Clothing related photography is all the rage. With former Outside Liner, Kev Maguire’s ilikelookinglikeotherpeople tumblr and now Sincerley Hana’s Switcheroo. While the originals are truly worth a look, we decided to do our own…

3. Improv Everywhere’s Say Something Nice (via Rob)

The flash mobbing art collective with the tag line “we cause scenes” set about debunking the myth that New York is an unfriendly place.

4. Ralph Lauren in-store 4D Projection

Ralph Lauren have been big fans of projection mapping since their spectacular 4D show on Bond Street at the end of last year. In a world first, they present their 4D projection mapping in-store…

5. Mentos (via Welton)

If you can’t do something well, do it badly (in a good way).

Mentos’ new Facebook tab revolves around their Dragee character, who is “part zen master, part inspirational leader” and looks somewhat like Joaquin Phoenix in his beardy phase. With three videos (vain, boring, and love-life), you can send your friends personalised inspiration if their vanity, mundanity or lack of love becomes an issue.

We’re happy to announce that our creative collaboration with DJ Cheeba for Beck’s has won the vzaar award for Best Video by a Creative Agency, judged by renowned Hollywood Director, Oliver Stone (see Wall Street, Natural Born Killers, Any Given Sunday).

Recognised for our visionary approach and creative execution of the DJ Cheeba viral for the Beck’s Vier Music Inspires Art campaign, we managed to impress Oliver Stone and the esteemed judging panel who singled out the project from over 1000 entries as a “superb, imaginative commercial”.

“Being identified by the great Oliver Stone for one of our video projects is an outstanding achievement and a great boost for the team who worked with great precision to deliver a fantastic result,” said Lloyd Salmons, one of our founding fathers. “This will certainly go down as one of our greatest moments.”

As the leading online video hosting platform, vzaar created the Video Festival to highlight the outstanding style and the seamless blend of artistic concept and effective communication which is being achieved by agencies using video across the globe.

The true power of the internet was on display, as bands ‘bypassed’ traditional routes and promoted themselves directly to the fans, and had great success doing so.

But as MySpace sits alongside other struggling virtual ruins, bands have naturally moved to where the kids are at.

How do new and smaller bands make the best use of these channels?

Facebook didn’t initially light up the music industry with its design and functionality, but with the creation of tabs there are options to show off the music behind the band ‘brand’. But what’s more interesting is the total dedication and intimacy bands are creating with their followers on Facebook and Twitter.

I recently discovered a band from Norway called Blood Command (I thoroughly recommend you check them out). Leaping onto their social media channels I was happy to see numbers weren’t enormous, it gave me a sense of ‘discovering’ a band early.

But what is so impressive about Blood Command, is their open attitude to these channels. The difference to Myspace is staggering. Leave a message on their wall and they’ll happily (or begrudgingly based on the enquiry) get back to you with a personal reply. When we first discovered them there was even a Twitter discussion with the band about getting them to play a local pub in London.

Add to this, I’m increasingly seeing members of bands set up their own personal page on Facebook (Twitter has always been the case). Greg Puciato from the Dillinger Escape Plan for example is active across Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr. Impressively all these accounts are generally used uniquely to each other but again, the interaction level is really decent.

It’s often the case to get the most exposure is to do something controversial. Social media sure isn’t hampering bands in this respect. Take iwrestledabearonce. In a move that was considered a huge leap, the band announced to their fans and through a carefully circulated press release that they would now be a black metal band. This was naturally picked up on music blogs and discussed. Fans on the whole recognized the gag but the metal community covered the news en masse with a surreptitious ‘O Rly?’.

Successful troll was successful!

When the band’s new song with its much promised new direction was leaked through a partner blog the site crashed through the demand of fans and haters alike. A brutal new track it was, but black metal it was not. This deception gave them even more coverage, especially from those who didn’t take to kindly to being trolled (see Gun Shy Assassin). As a fan, it made me love them even more!

Myspace was a revelation. A free service to connect your music to the masses. But it was one way, old-school communication. A service that could pump your music, news and events out to your adoring fans.

Facebook and Twitter, when used well, are building stronger ties between the artists and their fans. It’s no longer about one-way communication and purely promoting your own stuff. It’s far more personal.

Metal has always prided itself on a loyal and passionate fanbase. For a smaller band, what better way to forge ties with fans early than being human and responsive? It’s natural that those embracing social media are winning.