Move over HQ Trivia; it’s Steph IQ: In a bid to grab attention and engagement during the NBA playoffs, Under Armour created a mobile trivia game activated by basketball player Stephen Curry’s on-court performance. The Steph IQ app goes live during every playoff game when Curry hits his first three-point shot. The questions get harder as the game goes on and each incorrect answer or failure to answer means elimination. Prizes include $10,000 in Under Armour store credit and the latest Curry 5 trainers. Marrying the physical and digital experience of watching a sporting event? Sign us up. (Download it here)
Google Trends is Trending: Google Trends got a makeover this week! The update includes new infographic types, Year in Search data back to 2001, and a revamped Trending searches section, showing what is trending in search right now, both daily and minute-by-minute. Plus, the News Lab team has a curated section of trends on everything from the Trump Administration through Mother’s Day. It’s also a great place to find amazing examples of Google data visualizations by newsroom designers from all over the world. We could spend all day surfing this. (LINK)
Bluetooth Coke: The new Coca-Cola Freestyle 9100 debuts this weekend at the National Restaurant Association tradeshow. This new fountain machine feature bluetooth connectivity, which lets customers select up their favorite beverage or create a new mix. The touchscreen-operated dispenser uses “micro-dosing” technology to deliver nearly 200 drink options – including 117 low/no-calorie beverages and more than 100 varieties that can’t be found anywhere else. It will also give Coke data on what customers want – possibly inspiring new mainstream flavor choices (Sprite Peach, anyone?). (LINK)
Trademarking the PLAY-DOH Scent: People have tried to trademark a lot of weird stuff over the years, from celebratory poses to the Tarzan yell to, literally, the word “cocky.” So it’s actually kind of surprising that it took Hasbro 27 years of owning the Play-Doh brand before the company attempted to corner the market on that weird, yeasty, almost-food smell that has compelled generations of children to tentatively lick their (non-toxic!) mush toy over the years. That’s right: the smell of Play-Doh is now trademarked. (LINK)
#Humblebrag: This weekend the Fallon team is at VivaTech in Paris, France for the international debut of our new VR Rockumentary called “Perkons VR.” This is the untold story of Perkons, the Soviet-Latvian rock band that used a unique blend of hard rock and subversive lyrics to change the course of history – shattering Soviet society’s façade of power and stability in the 1980s. This HTC Vive virtual reality short-film experience was created entirely by Fallon employees (directed and produced by our creative technologist, Cory McLeod) and features pioneering VR techniques, found footage, archived photography and custom animation. You can watch the trailer here, and next time you’re at a Fallon office, be sure to ask to see it!
GREG SWAN 