Instagram a New Photo Sharing App on the Rise

For this blog post I decided to focus on visual communication. In doing so I decided to focus on Instagram which is one of the newest applications for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch users. This application definitely utilizes visuals and communication. Instagram is a photo sharing application that allows its users to take photos and utilize a filter to change the hues and textures. You can make pictures look retro, add water marks, a frame etc. This is noted to pay homage to Kodak and Polaroid. In addition it allows your photos (visuals) to be communicated to an audience. The interesting aspect about Instagram is that allows you to have an audience for what you produce. Many articles have acclaimed this application to be social networking which I do believe it definitely can be considered that sort of medium. You can "like" or comment on the photos, and see what's new and what the visual trends may be out there as well as communicate and connect with others.

To use the app you can take pictures within the app or use photos that already exist in your camera roll. You add a digital filter and then photos can be instantly shared, and not just using Instagram, but also facebook, twitter, Flickr, and Tumblr.  

As I stated before the application is pretty cool because it allows you to manipulate the photo with 11 different filters. Even pictures that you feel are boring can even be jazzed up and shared. For example I took a basic photo my Christmas Tree at my parents' home. I wanted to accent the bright star so I used Instagram to give a watermark that blurred the rest of the photo to focus on the start itself. 

Other examples of Instagram Photos: http://instagre.at/#/by/kickingincrediblydopeshitt/132824638935522883_17092806

Another awesomee aspect is that huge companies are utilizing Instagram for marketing efforts. Ford for example lauched a really interesting campaign to market one of the newest features of one of their newest vehicles the Fiesta. The feature that they wanted to highlight was its rearview mirror. They felt that the average consumer did not know that ( I did not know that) and they wanted to change that by using Instagram and they called it Fiestagram. This was a six-week contest in which users could submit photos and win prizes. Ford launched the Fiestagram contest and  each week announced a new hashtag (#) that was associated with one of the Fiesta’s high-tech features, such as #entry, #music and #hidden. People could then submit photos on Instagram, tagged with “#Fiestagram” and that week’s associated hashtag. Interpretations were up to the users which gave creative rights to how the visually communicated the hashtag for that week. For example, one of the hashtags like stated before was #entry so people submitted extraordinary doorways. The best photos that were taken were featured in galleries as well as Ford giving prizes each week. The final prize was of course a Ford Fiesta (How cool?). Here is how it worked: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wXme8JAMPwM

Many other organizations are choosing to use Instagram as well here a few:

·         GE

·         Starbucks

·         ABC News

·         National Geographic

·         Sharpie

Follow the link to read more and view photos http://12most.com/2012/02/17/12-prodigiou-brands-instagram/

Further information: http://techcrunch.com/2011/11/27/why-instagram-is-so-popular/

I never thought this app that I stumbled upon on my phone could be so popular  and have such an impact to the point that big name organizations would use it. I have found this to be fascinating. Please give your thoughts and feedback.