As digital media becomes an integral part of society, projects like Google Street View show how useful technology can be when used to merge the on and off-line worlds. Chances are, Google didn’t expect communities to embrace Street View quite like they did in Pittsburgh.

Marching bands and giant chicken sculptures were just some of the events staged, when local artists collaborated with Google Street View to represent their community on the site.

Their actions might have attracted some criticism, but their efforts do provide us with some clues as to how far people will go to celebrate what is important to them. It shows a sense of community, previously intangible, that has been escalated to the masses.

And marketers can learn from this - as web cams, live feeds and GPS become part of people’s everyday life, opportunities are there for brands to use these technologies. The challenge lies in finding a way to enhance the consumer’s lifestyle in the process.

Thanks to: Google Street View