July 16, 2008
Blendtec: Will it blend? Videos

Hilarious viral campaign created by mixing one part CEO, two parts random stuff and BAM… viral, WOM success at little or no cost to the company.

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Stride Gum: Where the hell is Matt?

Great example of finding a story… and attaching a brand (as opposed to creating the story). 

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July 15, 2008
“ Engineers normally don’t talk to marketing people except at the holiday party.

Why Brands Need a New Kind of Leader

As conversations with customer matter more, brands seek social-media evangelists

July 14, 2008

By Brian Morrissey

See: adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/digital/e3i5dab627a6e5e9f670fe61aa2512a7514

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lfarm: HBO’s new vampire series from Alan Ball, the Oscar-winning writer behind “American Beauty” and the hit series “Six Feet Under,” will not start until September. But for a select group of horror film enthusiasts, the story has been under way for weeks. On May 21, HBO and Campfire, a small independent agency founded by two of the creators of the 1999 film “The Blair Witch Project,” began sending cryptic letters in black envelopes sealed with red wax to people who might generously be described as pillars of the goth community: horror film bloggers, subscribers to the horror movie magazine Fangoria and the like. The letters were written in dead languages like Babylonian and Ugaritic, but — to no one’s surprise — the recipients duly pitched in to translate them. The group effort, carried out on blogs and message boards, led to a macabre Web site guarded by a beautiful vampire, where visitors could view short prequel episodes to HBO’s new series and learn about a product called Tru Blood that obviates the need for vampires to feast on humans. NY Times article Well done, guys! So cool. 

lfarm:

HBO’s new vampire series from Alan Ball, the Oscar-winning writer behind “American Beauty” and the hit series “Six Feet Under,” will not start until September. But for a select group of horror film enthusiasts, the story has been under way for weeks.

On May 21, HBO and Campfire, a small independent agency founded by two of the creators of the 1999 film “The Blair Witch Project,” began sending cryptic letters in black envelopes sealed with red wax to people who might generously be described as pillars of the goth community: horror film bloggers, subscribers to the horror movie magazine Fangoria and the like.

The letters were written in dead languages like Babylonian and Ugaritic, but — to no one’s surprise — the recipients duly pitched in to translate them. The group effort, carried out on blogs and message boards, led to a macabre Web site guarded by a beautiful vampire, where visitors could view short prequel episodes to HBO’s new series and learn about a product called Tru Blood that obviates the need for vampires to feast on humans.

NY Times article

Well done, guys!

So cool. 

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July 8, 2008
Toyota Banana Leaf Ads...

So cool… and green… and proactive.  By Leo Burnett Columbia.

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July 1, 2008
Subservient Chicken

This is too funny.  Type in a command and a person dressed as a chicken will follow your direction.

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June 30, 2008
Taking personalization in a new direction, Japanese Yosimiya is selling bags of rice printed with a newborn’s photo, name and date of birth. The bags are shaped to resemble a swaddled baby. But the key feature is that the bags contain the baby’s exact weight in rice. Holding the bag will therefore feel like holding the baby. Bags of rice with baby’s photos printed on them aren’t new in Japan, by Yosimiya is the first to make them to order, creating bags that match the baby’s size and weight. The personalized, made-to-order ‘dakigokochi’ are priced from JPY 3500 (USD 32 / EUR 22) and available in a wide range of colours and designs. Yosimaya’s dakigokochi are selling like hotcakes and mainly given to friends and family by the baby’s parents. Could this be one of those Japanese crazes that catches on in other parts of the world? Ongoing interest in personalization (see the books and DVDs for children that we recently covered) definitely won’t hurt, and both parents and other gift-givers are always on the lookout for fun new baby gifts. It’s also the kind of business that can easily be started by solopreneurs with a crafty bent. Build a cute website to sell the product online (or use Etsy) and start printing, sewing and selling. We hear they make good doorstops, too ;-) Website: www.yosimiya.comContact: shop@yosimiya.com Information from http://www.springwise.com

Taking personalization in a new direction, Japanese Yosimiya is selling bags of rice printed with a newborn’s photo, name and date of birth. The bags are shaped to resemble a swaddled baby. But the key feature is that the bags contain the baby’s exact weight in rice. Holding the bag will therefore feel like holding the baby. Bags of rice with baby’s photos printed on them aren’t new in Japan, by Yosimiya is the first to make them to order, creating bags that match the baby’s size and weight. The personalized, made-to-order ‘dakigokochi’ are priced from JPY 3500 (USD 32 / EUR 22) and available in a wide range of colours and designs.

Yosimaya’s dakigokochi are selling like hotcakes and mainly given to friends and family by the baby’s parents. Could this be one of those Japanese crazes that catches on in other parts of the world? Ongoing interest in personalization (see the books and DVDs for children that we recently covered) definitely won’t hurt, and both parents and other gift-givers are always on the lookout for fun new baby gifts. It’s also the kind of business that can easily be started by solopreneurs with a crafty bent. Build a cute website to sell the product online (or use Etsy) and start printing, sewing and selling. We hear they make good doorstops, too ;-)

Website: www.yosimiya.com
Contact: shop@yosimiya.com

Information from http://www.springwise.com

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June 26, 2008
If you’re reading this e-newsletter, you’re probably working in a creative field like marketing or advertising.According to a recent economic study of the region, the tri-county area has about 33,000 “creatives” working in everything from advertising to Web design and everything in between.My guess is that’s actually a low estimate. (click through the photo for the blog URL)

If you’re reading this e-newsletter, you’re probably working in a creative field like marketing or advertising.

According to a recent economic study of the region, the tri-county area has about 33,000 “creatives” working in everything from advertising to Web design and everything in between.

My guess is that’s actually a low estimate.

(click through the photo for the blog URL)

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"He was here just a minute ago!" - George Carlin, when asked what he wanted as an epitaph on his tombstone

As part of a company with FUN! as one of its core values, I can’t let the passing of George Carlin go without note. In the many tributes to the legendary comic, one that struck me was a replayed interview in which Carlin was asked how long he’d continue to be a comedian. His response was that there’s no finish line in creating art. You just stay in the race. Carlin referred to Pablo Casals, the world-renowned cellist, who still practiced three hours a day when he was 93 years-old. When asked why he still practiced at that age, Casals said, “I’m beginning to see some improvement.”

  • Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.
  • When cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say?
  • Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?
  • If the #2 pencil is the most popular, why is it still #2?
  • Those who dance are considered insane by those who can’t hear the music.
  • Most people aren’t particularly good at anything.
  • Women like silent men; they think they’re listening.
  • Don’t sweat the petty things and don’t pet the sweaty things.
  • In comic strips, the person on the right always speaks first.
  • It’s never just a game when you’re winning.
  • I knew a transsexual guy whose only ambition is to eat, drink, and be Mary.
  • “Meow” means “woof” in cat.
  • It isn’t fair: the caterpillar does all the work, and the butterfly gets all the glory.

(Andrea’s TOTD, June 26)

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Chrysler To Offer Wireless Internet In 2009 Models

(via caseyliss)

people are talking!

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June 24, 2008

Cha Cha

Need an answer? Ask ChaCha!

https://www.chacha.com/

When you aren’t at your computer and need last nights Tiger’s score, a restaurant tip, etc., you can text cha cha (242 242), or call 1.800.2chacha and get your answer quick.

Although the desktop/website application has been available for some time, the text service launched earlier this year, and gives you access to hundreds of people around the country who are literally waiting at their computer to answer your question (they get paid a small sum for each question they answer).

If you don’t like the answer you get, or want more information, you can respond to the text and start a conversation with your “guide.”

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June 23, 2008

Skymailme.com

This is the Sky Mail I was talking about that I saw at this weekend’s Cubs/Sox Game.  It had the entire stadium talking.  Could be a fun way to spread awareness for Triumph, Navigon, FLOR or EXPO. 

Check it out and create your own message … I created mine own.  :) 

http://www.skymailme.com/skymail.php?rec_num=2360&random_num=28098&previewFlight=1 

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June 20, 2008
A rundown of BBDO's highly touted campaign for HBO.

Winner of the 2008 Outdoor Grand Prix at the 2008 Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival.

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June 16, 2008
Is this the future program t-shirt?  Check out the cool “tech fashion” that was featured on Trendwatching.com: “Dutch fashion brand Wickdcalls itself ‘tech fashion.’ Wickd combines clothing and 2D barcodes technology to allow wearers of Wickd shirts, longsleeves or jackets to take their favorite websites with them. Every Wickd product has an unique Shotcodelogo printed on it, which the wearer can link to his or her website. Using a cellphone camera, people can take a picture of the logo and the phone browser will open the related website. This can be a Wickd-hosted website, a user’s MySpace page, their blog, Flickr account, etc. Besides targeting consumers, Wickd also sells shirts to companies for events. Prices range from EUR 29.75 to EUR 40.” Check out the “How it Works” tutorial by clicking on the photo.

Is this the future program t-shirt?  Check out the cool “tech fashion” that was featured on Trendwatching.com:

“Dutch fashion brand Wickdcalls itself ‘tech fashion.’ Wickd combines clothing and 2D barcodes technology to allow wearers of Wickd shirts, longsleeves or jackets to take their favorite websites with them. Every Wickd product has an unique Shotcodelogo printed on it, which the wearer can link to his or her website. Using a cellphone camera, people can take a picture of the logo and the phone browser will open the related website. This can be a Wickd-hosted website, a user’s MySpace page, their blog, Flickr account, etc. Besides targeting consumers, Wickd also sells shirts to companies for events. Prices range from EUR 29.75 to EUR 40.”

Check out the “How it Works” tutorial by clicking on the photo.

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June 12, 2008
This is awesome. International advertising for Lost (Kodi!) in Portugal.  Click the photo for the full article.

This is awesome.

International advertising for Lost (Kodi!) in Portugal. 

Click the photo for the full article.

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