WWD Digital Forum 2011

Procter & Gamble's Charlie Chappell discusses one of the most successful viral advertising campaigns of all-time: the Old Spice guy. Chappell explains how Old Spice's competition with Dove helped inspire the commercial, which ending up generating Super Bowl-sized awareness without a Super Bowl-sized budget.

Kate Ancketell, managing director of GDR Creative Intelligence, shows the future of customer responsive shopping. From a Sears department store to luxury jeweler Faberge, Ancketell describes how avatars and personal shoppers frame the new e-commerce experience.

Jordan Nasser, global head of digital media for H&M Hennes & Mauritz AB, expands on how to further a company's YouTube page by adding an interactive social media wall. Nasser also describes the unexpected viral potential of nontraditional video campaigns.

Dave Gilboa, co-founder of Warby Parker, recalls the difficult task of choosing a name for the visionary company founded with the objective of providing access to eyewear for people around the world. "We wanted our name to represent that we were doing something radically different," explains Gilboa.

Over the last decade, online content producers have been largely function-minded, allowing webpages to become cluttered with obtrusive advertisements, notes Greg Rogers, the co-founder and CEO of Pictela. But fear not: Rogers predicts a strong trend toward "beautified" webpages with more immersive, minimalist advertising driven by apps.

Biological patches to regenerate skin cells? Photonic hair coloration? Lipstick that changes color according to mood? Marc Speichert, chief marketing officer of L'Oréal USA, plays a short film that asks: what is the future of cosmetics?

Susan Gregg Kroger, co-founder and chief creative officer of ModCloth, relates the older brick and mortar retail model to the emerging "social commerce" model that has been the secret to her company's success. "I think we’re going to start to see a whole slew of new long tail community oriented brands," says Koger.

Martine Reardon, marketing and advertising executive vice president at Macy's, introduces a recent marketing initiative that implements QR codes to deliver video content to mobile phones of customers. By snapping a photo of a red star with a QR code, smartphone users can get a "backstage pass" to fashion tips and insider information about the department store chain.

Jill Braff, executive vice president of digital commerce at HSN Inc., describes how her company combines metrics, social interaction, and content to better connect with the customer. "The web funnel of the last ten years," she says, "is turning into an engagement model."