• Fast Company, Wednesday, December 14, 2011 10:11 AM

Here's the next contextual branding scenario, as described by Fast Company's Martin Lindstrom: As you cruise past the local McDonald's, the car radio begins playing "Happy Birthday." There's more. The lyrics mention your son by name and, eerily, it happens to be his sixth birthday. At the end of the song, McDonald's offers him a free birthday meal, an offer which will expire in 30 minutes. A notion that was once the province of science fiction has become a reality, at least in Tokyo.

Lindstrom experienced this himself. "I have a crystal clear memory of my first encounter with it. I was in Tokyo and using a Do-Co-Mo phone when I received a message: 'Martin, you have a friend in the area. Would you like to know more?'" He responded in the affirmative. "Within minutes it got back to me. 'Starbucks would like to sponsor your meeting -- please accept.' And so I did. A map appeared on my phone directing me to the nearest Starbucks, along with a coupon." He explains here how the car is the next open space for this kind of messaging.

Read the whole story at Fast Company »