Been seeing crab claws all over the state of Maryland? Well, we’ve put them there!

We are working with The Chesapeake Bay Trust to help educate Marylanders about the impact of buying Bay Plates. Part of the overall campaign is trying to overcome misconceptions about the Chesapeake Bay Plates. While most residents can recognize the license plates, most don’t know that revenues derived from the $20 plate directly support Bay restoration or education programs.

The integrated campaign includes an interactive website, online advertising, social media outreach, digital billboards, mall kiosks, bus shelters, bus posters, metro dioramas, bus wraps, and ambient media signage. In addition, listen and look for radio, tv, and print news coverage.

In addition to helping educate Marylanders, the Trust is also hosting the Hooray for the Bay Contest. Bay Plate factoid signs, which you can see above, have been placed all over the state of Maryland to help people learn about how the Plates support the Bay. Simply snap a pic of the factoid sign and send it to contest@bayplate.org, and you are eligible to win a free Bay Plate or $2,500. Find out more about the contest and other ways you can enter.

When it comes to entertainment, consumers are always seeking what’s newer, cooler, faster, and now, more interactive. You may have seen an interactive game at the mall where kids can kick a virtual soccer ball on the ground or stomp on cars. This type of interaction is relatively new to gaming, and even more new to entertainment.

It used to be that you buy a movie ticket, watch your movie, and go home. Now, some theaters are introducing an added entertainment value in the form of interactive games. Here’s a video of one interactive theater game in which moviegoers participate in a game where they control an on-screen vehicle by altering their movements.

Pretty cool huh? Did you notice the Volvo insignia? We did, and so did the people in the theater. The game provided something memorable for the audience to connect with the Volvo brand. Volvo isn’t the only ones moving into the interaction, or as I like to call, IRLPP (In Real Life Product Placement).

There are many examples popping up all over the place. One is the NBA All-Star Skills Competition game of G-E-I-C-O, a branded variation of the popular game, HORSE. Then there’s the Inside the NBA Wolverine integration just in time for the new “X-Men” movie, which features Charles Barkley developing claws.

I, for one, am a fan of this sort of integration, so long as it’s tasteful and actually adds some sort of entertainment value. What do you think? Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments below.