Cool Sh*t - XREAL, OpenAI, The Met x Roblox, KFC x Street Fighter, Got Milk? and more...
Vol. 39
Welcome to the 9 cool as sh*t people (Ian, Stephanie, Alycia, Jade, Connor, Jasmine, Brendan, Garry, Blair) who joined us since last time! If you haven’t subscribed, be cool and join 206 subscribers here:
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TOP 5
#1 – XREAL's Spatial Display Technology
While the world awaits Apple’s Vision Pro headset, the likes of XREAL are already making waves in the augmented reality space. Giving users the ability to experience their tech device (PC, gaming console, phone etc.) with an enhanced spatial view/UX, the reviews are surprisingly decent, and the tech/sector still has huge room for growth… The biggest selling point appears to be the price, which is under USD 500. Apple’s will be 7x at $3,500! 😮 Like it or loathe it, there is no doubt in my mind that this tech will eventually be commonplace in our lives. I do like the idea of being able to watch live sports (if I can’t attend in person) like this, especially if it was delivered as virtual reality, allowing me to be immersed in a stadium experience... 🔥
#2 - OpenAI Bought a Gaming Company
Its ChatGPT product has made OpenAI a household name, so in terms of potential reach and scale, this is a move worth noting. The acquisition of a small "digital product company" called Global Illumination, could indicate many alternate paths forwards for the AI giant. Its primary product is an open-source video game called "Biomes," which looks a lot like a clone of "Minecraft." What’s more, OpenAI has a multi-billion dollar partnership with Microsoft, the owner of Minecraft, and (nearly) Activision Blizzard. Maybe they will make an AI-powered game together that could transform the industry, or maybe gaming environments, like those seen in Minecraft, will be used to train AI for alternate real-world applications. Who knows, but I’m interested… 👀
#3 - Roblox at the Met
This completely passed me by in early August. It’s a really interesting move by The Metropolitan Museum of Art to engage with a gaming audience. Roblox has 66 million of them… They’ve built a virtual Met in-game that players can explore but what’s great about this activation is that they’re giving players who visit the Met the opportunity to scan iconic artworks to unlock replicas that their Roblox avatars can wear. It’s one of the more strategic and well-executed campaigns I’ve seen from a large institution looking to engage that audience. Oh, and it’s “Powered by Verizon”…
#4 - KFC’S Colonel Sanders is a Playable Hero in Street Fighter 6
Another one that passed me by when it launched. This is brand hijacking at a high-level. Seeing the opportunity that Street Fighter was giving players to create a custom avatar and share them with fellow players via special codes, KFC jumped at the chance and created the iconic Colonel Sanders in-game (Code: WFFCHCV5A). Players who engage and record their Colonel performing a hit combo could win KFC gift cards to purchase food combos at their local “restaurant”. It’s simple, in-touch with what the audience likes, and newsworthy. That’s why I love it… Some might say it’s a Zinger of a campaign! 🙄
#5 - Everyone Wants To Be Milk
I LOVE this campaign from Got Milk? It’s true that everyone wants to be milk these days. I’m all for choice. I just never bought into alternatives, favouring the OG to this day. I think the simplicity of the message combined with the style of the creative is spot on. It’s worth looking at the slideshow in the link above to give you a better flavour of the creative of the campaign, and to answer the eternal question - what’s better, real milk or alien milk? No doubt that will feature in advertising channels... There’s also a countdown timer to the launch of a 90s inspired 8-bit game where Real Milk is on an authenticity mission… 🥛
FEEL THE LOVE
The simple act of reading about an act of kindness can also give our love hormone (Oxytocin) levels a boost. So feel the love…
Pilot reunites girl with lost doll from halfway around the world ❤️
You never know what you might find…
Aussie punks ‘Amyl and The Sniffers‘ song ‘Security’ makes it onto the Cool Sh*t Spotify playlist this week.
ICYMI - Cool Sh*t Vol. 38 - Beep, AI Influencers, YouTube Trends, Ralph Lauren x Fortnite, Richard E. Grant, and more...
If you need more awesome Substack content in your life then go checkout All City “the diary of a London youth worker, written with the pen of an author” by Ciaran Thapar ❤️
Cool Sh*t is typically written from the comfort of my own home, here in Sydney, Australia - Gadigal land. Always was, always will be. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present. I extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The views expressed are my own and don’t reflect the views of my employer…