Google has rolled out a mobile version of its Project Re: Brief program that aimed at evoking nostalgia from classic ads and showing marketers what is possible with rich media.

Google has launched an Android app for marketers to show the opportunities that tablets and smartphones offer mobile advertising. The app is available for free download from Google Play.

"Project Re: Brief is a bid to test digital as a medium and inspire the our industry to make ads that people will love, remember and share for many years to come," said Aman Govil, lead for Project Re: Brief at Google, Mountain View, CA.

"This year Internet advertising turns 18 years old, and yet we?d be hard pressed to pick some favorite online ads. We believe the technology and the industry is ripe for a change," he said.

"We hope this experiment can act as that catalyst."

Mobile opportunity
The Google app showcases iconic advertisements that the company believes are good examples of what mobile offers marketers.

For example, a tablet ad for Alka-Seltzer uses weather, location and time for a campaign that resembles scenes from a 1970?s style sitcom. Via Google?s app, marketers can see how the ad appears on various devices and watch a customized video from the brand.

Additionally, Avis is featured in the app as an example of how mobile can be used in real-time to connect with users. The ad lets consumers fill out a few quick pieces of information about a recent car rental experience and generates a short, customized film that can be shared with friends and family via the Web.

A Volvo example shows marketers how they can create an ad experience with video and unique copy. The campaign uses social media and real-time information to chronicle a Volvo owner on his journey to lag miles on his car.

From a smartphone perspective, Google is showcasing a recent campaign with Coca-Cola. Via a mobile ad unit, consumers can send SMS messages to Coca-Cola vending machines around the world. Once a can is received at a vending machine, the recipient can send back a message to the user.

Mobile inspiration
Google has been doing a lot recently to target marketers looking to get into mobile outside of just mobile advertising.

For example, last year Google rolled out http://www.howtogomo.com as a resource to show marketers better understand their mobile Web offerings (see story)

The initiative was recently expanded via a partnership with DudaMobile to help marketers quickly roll out mobile Web sites.

Additionally, in April Google announced the Mobile Playbook ? an online resource that helps guide marketers through the process of going mobile. The site uses HTML5 and is accessible via desktops, smartphones and tablets (see story).

Google says that it rolled out the initiative after hearing from clients that brands are moving beyond just thinking about mobile to wanting to invest in it.

"The rise of smartphones has created amazing new ways for brands to engage consumers, especially by using many of the native features like shake, swipe and play," Mr. Govil said.

"And we've seen that fully integrated campaigns that make use of mobile's unique capabilities are incredibly impactful. So it seemed natural to create a way for people to experience the mobile executions of these campaigns as they were meant to be seen ? on a tablet or phone," he said.
 

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York