Wabi-Sabi Wins Microsoft Mobile Tagging Contest

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Wabi-Sabi Inspiration Lab, an agency with offices in Barcelona, Spain, and Bogota, Colombia, has won a creative contest for the best use of Microsoft mobile tagging to help the fund-raising efforts of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. The non-profit sponsored the contest, along with Microsoft and PSFK, the New York-based trends research consultancy.

Wabi-Sabi proposed an app called "1x2" that would allow shoppers to use their phones in conjunction with Microsoft tag stickers on various essential goods -- like milk, water, medicine and clothes -- to buy one product for themselves and another for children in need. Users would then be able to track their donations via Facebook.

While Wabi-Sabi won the contest, which was judged by Microsoft and the U.S. Fund for Unicef, PSFK said that an entry from New York's BBH Global (49% owned by Publicis) generated the most buzz of any of the entries from its readers and event attendees, becoming the most "liked" on Facebook and most shared through Twitter.

That campaign proposed a line of personally tagged "i.object" clothing -- from bikinis to unisex t-shirts -- designed to "raise awareness of young women's global fight against dehumanization and subjugation." Once purchased and worn, anyone else could scan the clothing to learn more about the cause, tweet their support, make a donation, or purchase their own i.object clothes. They could also view each wearer's contributions, who else he or she has recruited to the cause and how many donations have resulted, and the potential impact of those funds.

Kelli Peterson, director of corporate partnership development at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, said that some of the concepts from the contest have already proven useful to "specific opportunities and programs we already have in development." These include one of three Sapient Nitro entries, which would put Microsoft Tags on water stations at summer music festivals, as well as an idea from London's Lost in the Forest Institute -- called "Tag & Treat" and tying in with UNICEF's long time "Trick or Treat for UNICEF" fund-raising.

"We received one other idea that we loved and fit a blockbuster promotional opportunity we are confidentially developing with a promotional partner," Peterson added.

The ten finalists also included campaigns from Zemoga, Gigantic, Tyo Group's Great Works, and Live With Design.

Microsoft Tag allows codes to be placed on objects for scanning by smartphone cameras via a special app downloadable from Microsoft.

Microsoft Tag, along with WPP Group's Grey, will also be sponsoring the upcoming PSFK Conference, April 8 in New York.

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