In the digital world, the only constant is change. And as the digital marketing landscape continues to evolve, VML works hard to stay a step ahead. That’s why we’ve introduced a new format for Sky Wire, our enewsletter published for VML client partners and friends of our company.

Sky Wire provides news, updates and features about our varied digital engagements, creative showcases and case studies, industry trends, fun activities across our company, and VMLers volunteering time and talents in our communities.

It’s quickly shaping up to be the summer of eReading as VML helps DMC Worldwide — one of the country’s most successful consumer electronics companies — unveil Copia: the world’s first social eReading experience.

Hold on to your book jackets — Copia is sure to revolutionize the way we read. Copia is a family of eReaders, a marketplace and a social network all in one, with a device and online experience launching just in time for summer reading.

At its annual f8 conference in April, Facebook announced a series of platform enhancements, social plug-ins through its Open Graph and changes to its Graph API — allowing Facebook to move toward a more social web. A summary is provided below, along with what the changes mean for Facebook developers and marketers utilizing the social media platform.

Charlie Keum, VML Associate Creative Director based in the agency’s New York City office, created a top-rated iPhone called iSwing. The mobile app for golfers analyzes the subtle nuances of a person’s golf swing. The popular app features a built-in video recorder to capture someone’s golf swing that can then be replayed frame by frame, in slow motion or shown via Motion Echo.

Lines can be drawn over the swing path to check angles, and captured images can be shared with golfing buddies. The iSwing app is available for the original iPhone, 3G and 3Gs. It recently hit the top of the charts in the sports category and is the leading Sports App in the iPhone Store.

In less than a decade, Shave to Save has grown into one of the most successful programs administered by the Kansas City chapter of the American Cancer Society (ACS) — and VML has been there every step, or should we say “clip,” of the way.

In 2002, VML’s Chris Anthony was fighting brain cancer when he learned about Hope Lodge, an ACS residential facility providing safe, comfortable housing for individuals and families undergoing treatments for cancer. The Hope Lodge is located close to the patients’ treatment facilities, and is of little or no cost to those going through treatment or those who are accompanying their loved ones.

An always-on broadband internet sparked the Web 2.0 “era” and changed the internet in profound ways —including the types of applications that are now possible, countless new entertainment opportunities and certainly how we bring brands to life.

The heart of the Web 2.0 “era” was a movement that was more about changes in social behavior than technology. This democratization of the web literally made the tools of production, distribution and collaboration available to the masses —for free.  

Recent client campaign/initiative: A notable campaign I supported recently was the global launch of Microsoft’s new flagship development tool, Visual Studio 2010. Over the course of nine months, we created a demand generation campaign to promote downloads of the product beta, dovetailing into a global advertising campaign spanning 32 countries. The launch campaign, spearheaded by the tagline Life Runs on Code, glorified the developer by showcasing just how much our daily lives are influenced by their craft. All in all, we developed more than 500 individual assets for the campaign, ranging from print to video, digital to special events. It was a crazy knock-down, drag-out good time, especially considering we were onboarding T-Mobile at the same time.

VML has dramatically expanded operations in Europe with the launch of VML London, formed by rebranding GT — known previously as Good Technology — a VML subsidiary since 2004. Jon Cook announced VML London at a company event in London this spring.

With VML London fully integrated into the VML Digital Network, the agency accelerated its European presence, adding 70 talented marketers and numerous established client partnerships. VML London will benefit from direct access to VML digital expertise and industry specialists, advanced capabilities and the operational scale to better meet client needs. 

For the second consecutive year, VML supported Project Change-Kansas City, a nonprofit organization that strives to raise awareness of local charities. Fifteen teams composed of volunteers from local creative-industry companies compete for bragging rights and a chance to win prize money to donate to their favorite charity. The teams participate in challenges to create and perform community service projects throughout a four-month period.

To kick off VML’s 2010 Project Change efforts, Mark Roller, Creative Director, and team had a hunger to raise money for and create awareness of City Union Mission, a nonprofit organization that provides food, shelter, education and other services to impoverished men, women and children.

Tacos, tacos, tacos. Not unlike Monty Python’s seemingly endless search for the Holy Grail, a group of dedicated VMLers is searching out the perfect taco. What started as a group of five friends heading out for a quick bite has grown to a group of more than 30 VMLers who venture to Kansas City area Mexican and Spanish restaurants in search of the perfect taco.

The idea was spurred by a blog post discovered in The Pitch, a weekly reader dedicated to the local scene, titled “Top Ten Cheap Tacos in Kansas City.”The VMLer lunch bunch set out to determine the best taco from this original list of 10. Once they hit all 10, they thought, why stop there?