I just checked out Heineken's Know the Signs website. It is a humorous website where you spot the signs of over-drinking. Crazy, obnoxious dancing; bawling about your ex; getting a little grabby with the opposite sex; etc. It's a nice microsite, but it also asks for your birth date since you are supposed to be 21+ to enter.
Here's my question: This website may be created by a beer brand, but should it be "restricted" to 21+?
I know people can lie about their birth date and enter anyway. But, people under 21 do drink and are more likely to binge drink. Shouldn't they be encouraged to learn more about drinking in moderation or not at all rather than be told this site "isn't for them?" No one wants to encourage underage drinking, but I think it's ignorant to ignore the fact that it happens.
I guess there's a football game Sunday? If you're Tweeting about the ads, use #sbads09 and see your Tweets on AgencySpy. Until then, you can't throw a rock at the Internet without hitting some preview, analysis, breakdown, or tweeting about the ads.
The brands that most need to take advantage of social networks in 2009 were the brands with the most organic presence there in 2008. AdAge lists the top 25.
We hated HBO's Big Love campaign that ripped off PostSecret. Some things are sacred, and Church of Lam (Sunday Secrets with a bagel and coffee) is one of them.
We liked the party packs Velveeta sent to women hosting Super Bowl parties. Reaching out to a consumer one-to-one is a great way to create brand ambassadors.
We're up in the air about TurboTax's Super Status contest. It's definitely viral, but the process to play is complicated and it might come across as gimmicky.
My thesis advisor, Professor John Eighmey, delighted us this morning on WCCO with his thoughts about Superbowl advertising. He told the hosts, Elanor and Suzie (love the Minnesotan accent "He knows a thing or two about advertising..."), that his favorite commercial last year was Doritos' spot where a large mouse ironically tackles a man eating a bag of Doritos who had initially set a trap for the mouse.
Last year, my ultimate favorite had to be Tide's talking stain on an interview spot. So simple, so funny.
But, more importantly, I want to posit a question to all of those in Yaybia!land: What is your favorite Superbowl ad of all time?
Now, I know asking this question to advertising enthusiasts is like asking what your favorite movie or song is, but I'm just curious to see what we come up with. We'll no doubt be ripping apart the ads that debut on Sunday, but I am more interested in the ones that have stuck with you since they first premiered.
On the radio show, John Eighmey talks about Apple's 1984 ad, which is without a doubt some fantastic work, however, since I was -3 years old at the time, I didn't get to experience this at the culturally relevant time (otherwise it would probably be my favorite.) He also brought up how Mean Joe Green (which was actually done by Coke, not Pepsi) also brought the audience a piece of "cultural truth" that they could identify with.
But one of my favorites of all time happened in the 2002 Superbowl (XXXVI), and it was one by Budweiser. Now, Bud Light has had a lot of success with funny commercials during the Superbowl (though I will say I was a bit disappointed last year,) but the Satin Sheets spot is still one of my favorites.
It's a bit slapstick, but I clearly remember sitting on my couch with my dad in his recliner as he was wheezing/laughing so hard that he started tearing up to this ad. (My dad doesn't normally laugh that easily.) Perhaps it was just the fondness of that memory that makes the ad stick out in my mind, but doesn't that show one of the greatest parts of advertising? (How it becomes part of the great family gathering/fond memories.)
So... lay it on me. Let's share together in the Christmas of Advertising-land that is the Superbowl. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE SUPERBOWL SPOT?
Riding in the car this morning, we heard the radio announcer mention that NBC will not allow PETA's new ad to run on the superbowl. My roommate asked me "why they would submit an ad if they knew it was going to get banned? Don't they know enough to be able to tell?" Well, same reason they do it every time, great PR, sex sells, and you save $3million, but still get a ridiculous amount of PR impressions without paying as cent.
This isn't the first time that PETA has done this, but checking out their new site you can see just how many times they have been "Too Hot For TV." In fact, on YouTube, you even need to be "of age" to view the video. Score 1 point for PETA.
With 31,000 views on YouTube in 1 day, and many major news announcements, I'd say they've done a good job. Sex sells, and people LOVE banned content.
This year (as it has been for the past few years) everyone is talking about how digital plays into Superbowl spots. Well, it will be very interesting to see how well a banned Superbowl spot does online vs. one that ran. Expect Yaybia to investigate post-Superbowl and post a follow up.
In the meantime, lets do an "over-under." Do you think: A) PETA will get more online views than any Superbowl spot that ran, or do you think B) The ones that run will do better. Leave a guess and a reason in your comment!
There's been a lot of talk this week about online video series statistics and how viewers are likely to skip it after the first episode (wait, we're not still saying "webisode"? Woo-hoo!). AdAge reports that viewership is generally down 64% from Episode 1 to 2, and they attribute this to a fickle online audience. Dirk chimed in earlier today, saying that even though there might only be a small audience left after episode 10, it's still a loyal and engaged group.
I agree, but I'm curious why online video series aren't doing well. I think at this point, it has to do with content. Personally, even though I love clips from series like You Suck at Photoshop, I'm not a loyal viewer because:
The novelty wears off. A lot of web series are built on a simple gag that just gets old after the first storyline. The Landlord is a good example--I know there's a sequel called Good Cop, Baby Cop, but I have no desire to watch it. I understand that this makes it easier for audiences to jump in at any time, but I get sick of it fast.
Because of that, I don't have a reason to care. We've been programmed to consume online video in 3-minute chunks (and that's pushing it), and most series can't develop compelling characters or storylines in that amount of time.
I'm lazy. Typing a site into my address bar is too much work. I'm not going to remember to check back for the latest YSaP unless someone forwards it to me.
The two online series that I do view on a regular basis are Best Night Ever and The Office webisodes (dammit, there's that word again). BNE is distributed as a podcast and The Office is heavily promoted on TV, so they both overcome my laziness. As far as content, I watch both shows because they complement series that I'm watching on TV or reading daily in blog form.
Maybe brands should experiment with providing a video series as a supplement to something that exists in another form, or maybe they should embrace the way SNL skits are re-watched online...but until they really solve the dilemma of devoting time to developed characters and stories vs. making clips easily digestible in 3 minutes or less, I don't think recurring series are going to gain traction.
I bet there are some awesome psychological reasons why we expect web series to be short, but we're also willing to watch entire TV episodes and even some movies on Hulu. John Eighmey, any ideas? And for everyone else, are there any web series you can't live without? How do they overcome these obstacles?
Remember your first "advertising" job? Or some sort of "marketing" internship? Canvassing? Cold calling? Tonight I was reminded of how lucky I was to have avoided such an experience (fluorescent signs for my lemonade stand doesn't count), but then again, maybe I was missing out?
Tonight Danielle and I were having a beer on campus and we were approached by two girls promoting the new movie The Uninvited. We got hooked up with some swag a ton of free tickets for Wednesday nightat 7:30pm. If you're interested shoot me an email (yaybia@gmail.com).
I want to applaud their effort for braving the sub zero temps to promote a sub par movie (PG-13 is not scary, people) in the name of a future advertising or PR career. I jumped into an office gig right away, but with the current job outlook I can't help but think that handing out free tickets might end up being a bill-payer. Anyways, that being said. I'm curious to know what your first "advertising" job was. Or that part-time position on your first resume that screamed "this wasn't advertising but I made it seem that way."
I meant to blog on this last week, but my anger caused me to hold off, so I may write a more rational post. Now, I say, screw that.
As many of you I'm sure have seen, Dominos is attacking Subway needlessly in their "People prefer Dominos subs over Subway two to one in a taste test" campaign. Thank you, once again Crispin Porter Bogusky. Here are my problems with this campaign, which have been summarized nicely by several other people:
1) As AgencySpy puts it, people who eat Subway subs will not substitute Dominos subs. Dominos subs aren't healthy, so of course they taste better! That's like saying I like chocolate bunnies better than carrots. Of course I do, but that doesn't make them equal.
2) This campaign has become like the other CPB campaigns. More about the agency than the client. This only improves CPB's image of being out there and dangerous and risk-taking and innovative. It does not focus on the needs of Dominos and the needs of its consumers.
3) This was aired during American Idol:
In response as to why, the CEO had this to say: The letter arrived from Subway earlier this month. Upon receiving it Brandon challenged his marketing team and lead agency Crispin Porter+Bogusky, Miami, to come up with a plan to leverage it. "I said ‘listen this is a bit if a swipe at us, suggesting there is an integrity issue around the test we did and how we did. I don’t like it,'" Brandon told Brandweek. "It made us want to scream even louder about our two-to-one taste claim results. When they asked me to be in the ad, I had to be a team player.”" Domino's plans to continue running the ad for awhile.
Let me reiterate: "When they asked me to be in the ad, I had to be a team player."
No, I think this kind of response, while attention getting, is childish and a response like that is spineless. If you wanted the commercial done, own up to it. If you didn't, don't do it. Don't make your agency take the fall. In the end, your agency needs you more than you need your agency. Even though, I know every agency wishes it were the other way around. However, that dynamic creates an atmosphere where the brand gets to portray itself as it desires rather than the agency (ahem, CPB) showing itself off. With that kind of power, they should be doing the most insightful work possible, not the most annoying/craziest.
Last Thursday, space150 hosted another DeepSpace event at the Fine Line in Minneapolis focusing on 2009 Trends. The event was a huge success with about 250 showing up to watch speakers Ted Souder from Google, Jim Cuene from General Mills, Paul Rombach from AT&T, Joe Zawadzki from MediaMath, Michael Kellar from DQ, Daniel Griffis from Chip Ganssi Racing, and Jeff Weiner and Christine Huang from PSFK.
While I enjoyed all the presentations (the technical difficulties didn't even phase Jim Cuene), my favorite was Michael Kellar. Michael Kellar was fun and engaging. It also shows that those of us so immersed in digital trends can forget that not everyone feels the same way. Kellar discusses the brands hesitation of diving headfirst into digital trends, when they may indeed be nothing more than just a fad (all signs point to the opposite being true, but you never know). This reminds me of NASCAR Blindness. After all, not everyone, myself included unfortunately, has an iPhone. Kellar also brings up the DQ "smile and a story theory." They may not be the fastest, most pervasive, or cheapest (having just come out with the Sweet Deals Value Menu), but they have an intangible quality that still makes them successful in the competitive QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) industry. My smile and a story? After every soccer game when I was younger, we went to DQ, bypassing almost every other QSR in the neighborhood.
Michael Kellar reminded me of something simple: 2009 trends to a company like DQ may have been 2000 Trends to me.
Fellow Yaybia member Danielle recently posted about the portrayal of the ad-industry in movies.With the debut of "The City" (MTV’s spin-off of The Hills, which is a spin-off of Laguna Beach… whew my head is spinning) I started to notice that PR has gathered its own reputation based on a few television series, all thanks to MTV.
Loyal followers (or lazy channel surfers) of MTV may remember a reality show several years back following PR agency owner and celebrity socialite Lizzie Grubman.“PoweR Girls” chronicled the lives of Grubman and four female assistants competing for a spot in Lizzie Grubman Public Relations, an agency based in New York that deals mainly with celebrities and their endeavors.The women had to plan nightclub openings and album launches, mingle with celebrities and the press, and ultimately earn Grubman’s respect.
Then came “The Hills” featuring Lauren Conrad of “Laguna Beach” fame.After a couple seasons at Teen Vogue, Whitney and Lauren relocated to The People’s Revolution, a PR agency run by Kelly Cutrone.The agency deals heavily in the fashion industry.
Also, Heidi Pratt of "The Hills" (supposedly) works at Bolthouse Productions, an event firm which deals in Los Angeles's nightlife scene (club openings are the main “work” we see Heidi deal in when she’s not draping herself over creepy Spencer Pratt). Her job is featured often on the show, as well as promoted on the company's Web site.
“The City” spun off very recently, and with only four episodes under its belt, shows the life of Whitney Port in PR position at Diane Von Furstenberg’s company.
Finally, Kelly Cutrone of The People’s Revolution is now in talks of having her OWN show following her work in the fashion PR industry (network unknown so far).
All this exposure to the industry from MTV, what are the reprocussions?Is MTV bringing a false light to PR?
Well in my opinion, the Pros are that some of these shows do show that working at an entry level is hard work, and you can’t just breeze through or you’ll make major mistakes that cost you (i.e. Heidi drinking on the job and getting fired).However, the Cons are that most of these girls live in homes I’ll never dream of owning, wear clothes that cost more than my rent, and frequent clubs that only celebrities can get into.This is NOT the typical life of a public relations professional, especially at intern or entry level.I would hope, however, that most of the viewers take these shows with a grain of salt and realize fake from reality.Any thoughts?
This is also a pet peeve of mine (I tried to find an old classic Campbell's commercial the other day, and the only copies had been removed due to copyrights. What?! You are preventing me from seeing your commercial somewhere other than TV even though I am seeking you out? What's that about?).
Anyway, today I read an interesting article on MediaPost (unfortunately subscription required, but I've included a screenshot of the article below). The main point of the article: Making entertainment available for free increases demand, which ultimately results in sales. This includes both officially sponsored content and pirated content. The article cites successful examples of this theory such as the Monty Python YouTube Channel and the RadioHead "pay what you want" online campaign.
This follows the same theory as free samples. Maybe people who would never buy your album would after hearing a song or two for free on YouTube. Why? They don't know if they like your music and won't pay until they do. But, once they like it, they won't want to go back to YouTube and hit play and search over and over again. It's not convenient. You can't automatically have playlists or upload them to your iPod for on the go convenience. Same reason you should be on Pandora, let people discover you, remember you, and appreciate you for allowing them to have free content. After all, I didn't respect Campbell's right to be copyrighted in some rational inner battle, rather, I was annoyed I couldn't share the commercial I loved.
Welcome to our first of many weekly recaps, where we'll harness the rumblings of the interwebs into one post for your reading pleasure.
ON THE WEBS: In case you were under a rock and/or wasted all week (it's ok if you were!)
We got a new President on Tuesday! Google searches took a nosedive while we watched his speech, and a lot of us were watching online. J9 talked about Facebook/CNN connect and how awesome it was. To bring the federal government into 2009, the new administration overhauled whitehouse.gov at exactly 12:01pm--and it looks rll good.
(12:27:53 PM) Libby Issendorf:not gonna lie, it's really good. it puts aside the morals of it, which is usually their downfall
(1:10:03 PM) Erin Lamberty:wow, they even win on their site with just the video + comments + sign up + share options + donate http://www.catholicvote.com/
Not gonna lie, I would probably burst into flames if I walked into a church right now, but this ad for Catholic Vote is the first pro-life/pro-choice spot that takes a step back from the standard moral emphasis and highlights an example that is relevant for everyone in America (and the world) right now. I'm not sure how this message, or any other PSA related to such beliefs, can actually impact someones morals, etc but at least they're doing something different. Their site is decent as well. I love the clear focus on the video and comments. Maybe they took a hint from the Pope?
In my Psychology of Advertising class, John Eighmey is meshing social media and teaching through his new blog and twitter account. In my opinion, this is the new age of education. It's easy for students to follow curriculum (um are we seriously still using WebCT?) and even interact outside of class. Not all of us like to speak up in a huge lecture and, having an online forum would facilitate discussion among the entire class.
Forget just interacting with your class, why not the whole advertising community at the J-school? I know some of the Yaybies would have loved to take a class with John Eighmey but couldn't because of scheduling. They now have a chance to hear his thoughts on creativity and the industry through his blog. We've got so many brilliant minds at our J-school, I'd love it if all the profs started creating blogs. Would you follow them?
While I was picking up some overpriced textbooks this week for my final semester here at the University of Minnesota I was surprised and a little proud to see this book on the shelves next to more traditional Journalism books. I'm too old to be taking the intro to public relations class, but those freshman and sophomores are a lucky bunch. Their professor is having the students read Julio Ojeda-Zapata's new book, Twitter Means Business. Awesome, right?
Why is this great? From experience, I know that University courses are often times WAY behind in many of the current business, advertising and public relations activities. Twitter also hasn't really had the impact on college students as Facebook has (yet) and this is a good way for them to start using it and have a head start.
What does it mean? Murphy Hall is already filled with great people, but their use of these new books and ideas in the curriculum gives Gopher students better insights into the world outside of lectures and blue books. While Twitter isn't the sole platform for businesses to connect with their consumers, it's simplicity and ease of use is perfect for setting up examples and case studies.
Who wins? The University, the professors, the book authors, students and more importantly, their future employers win big time. Sure it's great to learn the founding principles of strategic communication, but all too often we're given out-dated examples that drive us to completing the Daily Sudoku rather than being inspired to participate. With updated courses and materials, everyone gains from the conversations and involvement with real-time business and marketing examples.
I was going to post about Red Bull "Get it on Record" long ago but now I'm kind of glad I waited because this cool video made it's way to my FB inbox this week! Our good friend Claire organized the event here in Minneapolis and from the looks of the video it seems like the competition was a huge success. Check it out.
So why is this great? The brand doesn't dominate. The creative work is the center of the event and guess what, you don't win free Red Bull. Instead, winning teams are given new Apple computers. Good job Red Bull for not just whoring out your product (ex: free Red Bull for a year) and giving your brand champions the tools to continue producing good work.
What of it? Brands can learn a lot from what Red Bull did with this competition. For an entire month these artists, their friends, and the community heard about this competition and the excitement that it generated. Each team was thrilled to have been given a chance to showcase their work in a new way -- and they didn't have to use the brand in the work itself. Red Bull became an opportunity granter, a creative leader, and a community organizer. They win because they allowed theirbrand to shine through people, not through their product.
Side Note: Two guys that I graduated from high school with were in the competition. Crazy!
I have a response to Jacey's post about infomercials. I would say that, with the right product, infomercials ARE becoming more of a form of entertainment than just mere advertising. (Though, I am not sure that entertainment was the intent of these entrepreneurs.) The perfect example of this would be, of course, the...
SNUGGIE!!!!!!
For some odd reason, the Snuggie has become the most talked about infomercial pop culture phenomenon since Sham-WOW! or the Magic Bullet. In fact, I was somewhat surprised to have it pop up in my Facebook universe via the Bumper Sticker app:
Thank you, sister.
Maybe it's the sheer ridiculousness of the product (I could have made this as a middle schooler), or the creepy, cult-like "cloakness" of their aesthetic, but you can't escape Snuggie talk.
Go to YouTube and you'll find plenty of Snuggie-related videos. How about this one?
I think that the joke status that the Snuggie has received will get them some sales early on in the product's lifetime, however, once the joke wears off, I don't think it will survive.
But until then, you can see me wearing my Snuggie to the Home Depot...
church...
or a parent teacher conference!
P.S. On another note, PedEggs are addictive... beware.
I love it when commercials can still make me absolutely crack up. For example, this commercial for National Car Rental makes me laugh every single time.
However, they are hard to find. I previously have discussed some other spots that I love right now. Yesterday, on Creativity, I found some more. And to be sure to give the whole campaign some kudos, I'll post all 4 of these. So simple, I love them.
I once heard someone state that the two greatest American art forms are Jazz and the infomercial. How true, but sorry Coltrane, this post will focus on the latter.
Recently, infomercials have been creating human celebrities: we all know the current infomercial celebs Vince Offer (for ShamWow) and Billy May (for everything), but now I feel the products are becoming celebrities as well.
While much of the world is focusing on the Snuggie, my favorite infomercial (after the Magic Bullet of course) is for the Strap Perfect. This is because I think it sells what a lot of infomercials sell best: ideas.
This little piece of plastic will A) hold your straps in place, B) Hide your straps under those funky straps and sleeves, and C) Give you cleavage Pam Anderson would be jealous of. But wait, all it does is hold your straps together? Why not use a safety pin?
Why not, indeed. Thanks Strap Perfect!
Besides those mentioned above, I can think of several more products: PedEgg, PediPaws, Doggy Steps, OxyClean, Get a Grip, Walk Fit, Save a Blade, Big City Slider, Aqua Globes, and Bender Ball. And this is just off the top of my head.
Is it just me, or are we being slammed with more infomercials than before? Or do I just watch too much late night TV? Also, are the annoyance and catchiness of them actually holding my attention more than traditional TV ads? How would a product such as Pepsi fare if they did an infomercial-like ad, except without the "Get two cases for 19.95, and if you order now, we'll double that!" offer at the end? Are infomercials becoming less of ads and more like forms of entertainment?
If you couldn't tell by now, I'm in a love affair with cupcakes. So much so, that I convinced my best buds to create a video to send to Cupcakes Take the Cake to win a ticket to the Martha Stewart Show. Turns out it was obsessive enough to win me a ticket. The show airs this Wednesday (Jan. 21) and I'm sitting in the middle wearing a bright green sweater. Talk about your fifteen minutes of fame. Check out some pics here.
Here's the set:
Lucky for me, I got to sit down and have lunch with the lovely ladies at Cupcakes Take the Cake. Rachel started the blog only a few years ago, and since then it has blown up. Maybe all of us bloggers could take few pointers from these intelligent and talented women. Check out the interview I scored:
So CNN and Facebook aligned their forces for some refreshing news coverage. Like all of you, I was sneaking coverage of the Inauguration since the early hours. To my surprise, a partnership with Facebook added a new element to CNN's coverage. On the right side of the video, viewers could open up their Facebook profile and watch people's responses to the live events. And of course, they could submit their own comments.
Here is why I think this partnership is a win:
High Involvement: CNN said they are receiving over 2,000 comments per minute, wowser.
Exchange: The news is no longer static and CNN allowed viewers to voice their opinion about this highly emotional event.
Listening: The simple act of letting people share responses show's viewers that CNN values their opinion. The positive responses of this partnership is proof that people appreciate this simple gesture.
One final note, advertisers may not be crazy about this open comment format. A Starbucks ad all about the "grassroots" movement was highly booed by Facebook commenters. Apparently, people did not appreciate Starbucks pretending to be a "grassroots" company. [I have yet to find this ad, but I'll post it if I come across it]
"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek."
[The 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama]
Funny Ad Placement on Oddee today. I was ready an article called 15 Ads that'll make you say WTF? and it took me a good minute to realize that the second ad for Medifast was not part of the article, but an actual ad that had been placed there. I was wondering what was so WTF about it. Even though I know they didn't specifically place their ad in this article, I'm going to call this a Win, since I did look at that banner ad for a good minute and now know that, apparently, 15,000 recommend it.
This Thursday the 22, space150 will be hosting another DEEPSPACE event at the Fine Line in Minneapolis from 1-5pm. This event will feature a variety of speakers (Check out the agenda here) as well as a happy hour afterwards and Dilly Bars from DQ! There are a wide range of topics, but the theme centers around 2009 trends. It is free, but you must RSVP on the website: http://deepspace.space150.com. Even if you can't stay the whole time, or need to show up late, you should come by. It's going to be a great time!
Last night Lam, D, and Tsang enjoyed drinks with Matt from AgencySpy in NYC. Turns out that ever since The Great Nipple Post of 2008, Matt has been a big Yaybia fan. Today he posted an awesome call for AgencySpy readers to share advice with us industry newbies--and even hinted that interested parties should offer Lam a job! I can't lie, I nearly had a heart attack when I saw the Yaybia logo under AgencySpy's. Made me feel like our little blog is growing up, aww...
Thanks to Matt for the link love and help in getting us career (and blog) advice! And Yaybia readers: what's the best piece of job-hunting advice you've ever received? Comment!
I waffle between security v. convenience all the time; especially online. It is more secure to have a variety of passwords over all accounts, but much more convenient to have 1. In this case, this potential security v. convenience fail comes from Facebook.
For the first time today I got this:
While trying to update my status so my friends can have the link to this very cool article about our own Yaybia! But, today, instead of updating immediately I got a Security Check, and if I don't want to get this every time I try to update something, I have to have Facebook verify that I am a real person by sending a confirmation code to my mobile phone (standard rates and other fees may apply). Well, I did it. And still got the security things.
The point of this is to verify your existence, and they reason that if you are on Facebook you must have a mobile phone. Also, I could still have my old fake account (RIP Thunder Girl) and still send the message to my phone. Also, what if I don't want Facebook to have my phone number?
This might make Facebook a tiny bit more secure, but right now I'm voting for convenience.
With our good old Star Tribune filing for Chapter 11 bankrupcy today, it's no shocker to us Minnesotans that the world of traditional media is in some trouble. As a PR professional, it's easy to get a bit nervous that the people we are sending our messages out to may not be there the next day. That's why the smart PR agencies are turning to social media as well as old media for image building. This recent social media triumph has given us extra reassurance that this is the right thing to do.
Yesterday's NYC plane crash into the Hudson River was BIG news, with images being smattered all over CNN, Fox News, etc. But who had the scoop? Who had the very first photos of the crash? Sorry kids, it wasn't our silver fox Anderson Cooper, it was Twitter!
Thanks to the popularity of the micro-blogging site, the news of the crash spread quicker than reporters could get on the scene. A Twitter-user on a nearby ferry snapped a pic with his iPhone (brief sigh of envy) and sent it to the photo application called TwitPic. The tweet read: "http://twitpic.com/135xa - There’s a plane in the Hudson. I’m on the ferry going to pick up the people. Crazy."
Freep.com reported that the picture spread around the social networking world so fast that it crashed the site when 7,000 people tried to view it at once. Amazing.
Ok ok... so Twitter isn't necessarily a news source per say, but Twitter and other frequently updated social networking sites are beginning to become a staple source of information for many who opt out of checking their newspaper in the early morning for the news. And with traditional media faltering on the scene, perhaps it's time to take a closer look at what social media can do for the communications world.
On Election Day, I scoffed at Starbucks' lame attempt to give away coffee for those who voted. Claire argued that Starbucks was emphasizing its brand promise of community involvement, but I thought that free coffee for voting was a weak connection and more a jump on the bandwagon. Their Inauguration Day effort resonates much better with community involvement and service.
When I logged into my Facebook this morning, an ad on the side invited me to Starbucks' event, "Free coffee if you pledge 5 hours of volunteer time." Unlike on Election Day, Starbucks is taking initiative to be a leader in community involvement versus lining up with a myriad of other brands to distribute their goods. This offer has a clear goal (inspire 1 million people to volunteer), is the only Inauguration Day offer I've heard of so far (feel free to correct me in the
comments!), and is taking initiative to encourage people to join a cause and be part of a big movement in their community. I don't think free Starbucks enticed any non-voters to vote on Election Day. People who have never participated in community service probably won't change their ways for a free Tall coffee, either. But for past volunteers who have heard Obama's encouragement to join a community service project again, this Facebook invite and pledge effort might be the additional push they need to head to Starbucks, sign up, and actually make a difference.
Although I'm still not a huge fan of giveaways in general for Starbucks, I think creating their own cause (or at least jumping on one that's not quite as exploited as Election Day) puts them in a much better position than they were two months ago. Win.
UPDATE
Curt, a loyal reader, sent us an updated image of what popped up on his FB page today! Thanks Curt!
Most of the time I think of radio ads (and emails - I received this in my inbox the day after I initially wrote this post) as white noise, or something that causes me to flip around until I find a station playing music. However, there are the occasional ads that make me turn up the volume and listen. There was one such commercial I heard today while stuck behind a car with Texas plates who obviously had no idea how to or any confidence while driving in the snow.
It was for Morrie's Hyundai. They are participating in a nationwide deal where you can buy a Hyundai and if you cannot pay your lease because of losing your job within the next year, "or experience some other life changing event that affects your ability to make payments," you can return the car and be let out of your lease. That way you can buy a new car without fear of being screwed if you lose your job during these tough economic times.
I am just going to give a shoutout for Morrie's and to all of Hyundai. Way to respond to the economic situation that helps lessen the fear now associated with big purchase items, like cars.
Let me begin by saying I love all things Chris Brown, and his song Forever is in my top 10 for 2008. After hearing the song a few times, I was immediately in love. But I realized a suspicious line in the middle of the chorus:
It's like I waited my whole life
For this one night
It's gon' be me, you and the dance floor
Cause we only got one night
Double your pleasure, double your fun
And dance forever...
Wait, what? The tagline for one of the dorkiest gum brands of all time? Running through my head were the twin-filled spots of the 90s...pretty much the opposite of Chris Brown's abs pictured at left.
Some of my love wore away when I realized it was more marketing gimmick than lyrical genius as Chris Brown's commercial and sexed up jingle debuted in August. But in the end, I didn't care that Lam and I were actually belting out the Doublemint jingle as we drove to the bar with Sally's top down. I didn't care that Chris Brown very slowly and seductively placed a stick of gum in his mouth at the beginning of the music video. I just loved the song, and so did a lot of my peers (Forever hit #2 on the Billboard Top 100 and #1 on the Pop 100).
If the goal was to re-brand Doublemint to shed its 90s image, WIN. What better way to raise brand awareness with a new target than to literally get them singing your jingle? Mr. Brown spinning around with that Doublemint pack in his back pocket energized the brand and put it among the ranks of Orbit, Stride, and 5--and into 2008.
The video product placement, tagline (but not blatant name drop) in the lyrics, and dedicated spot brought the partnership full circle. Smashing success! I just have one gripe: the first time I ever saw the Chris Brown spot was last night, six months after it premiered and after the song was at its peak popularity! Maybe this was just me living under a rock, but why didn't I see it during Gossip Girl and on VH1 all summer??
Did you see the spot earlier? Or did Wrigley spend its entire budget in production and cross their fingers for a viral hit?
I've seen this commercial several times, and finally followed up with it. I cannot find it online, but it is for Nature's Source natural cleaning products from Scrubbing Bubbles. It features two women (of course, because what man actually cleans?) - one who is concerned with disinfecting, one concerned with being all-natural. Solution: Nature's Source from Scrubbing Bubbles. I am all for organic cleaning and maybe someday I'll have the money to purchase it.
At the end of the commercial it mentions naturessourceoffer.com to get your cleaning starter kit - Window Cleaner, Toilet Bowl Cleaner, Bathroom Cleaner, and All-Purpose. Plus, a free reusable tote bag. They give the impression that ordering online is a low-risk way to try this new organic product.
However, when I went to the site, this starter kit cost $18.99 (free shipping). $19?! Purchasing those same cleaners at a store (not on sale) costs $17.72. Throw in a $1 tote from Target and that's $18.72. $0.27 savings and I don't have to wait for this stuff to show up on my doorstep or enter credit card info online. A better option - let me download a coupon.
It's 2009, and our search results still look like this:
Cuil tried to serve up search results more suited to the way Digital Natives process information: splashed all across the page, all media forms at once. But one major problem I had with Cuil was that it was overwhelming, a huge smorgasbord of information shoved in front of us:
Then in June came Kosmix's redesign to horizontal search. Similar to Cuil, Kosmix draws listings from sites across the web, not necessarily those with the best SEO. But Kosmix's killer edge is how it categorizes the information into quick overviews, Wikipedia entries, audio, video, blogs, opinion/discussion, news...basically everything Google makes you travel to a separate page to find. After trying a few searches, I was in love:
Another great Kosmix feature is how it integrates shopping and product reviews. Showing the actual product for sale makes much more sense than relying on the text "Shop ____ at Amazon.com!" over on Googs:
I'm not as familiar with Yahoo Glue, but it seems to be a similar concept:
I think Glue will probably appeal to Yahoo's current user base, but for me, Yahoo is back with AOL in the land of dial-up. I'm sticking with the cool new kid in town.
None of the new sites rival Google when searching more obscure terms, but for gaining a broader understanding of people and issues, Kosmix is definitely where I plan to head in 2009. Of course, old habits die hard. I'll keep you posted on how many of my searches actually take place on an alternative search site, rather than in the search bar of my Chrome browser. Stay tuned!
In light of Alicia's recent goal to watch all of these movies, I started thinking about ones that feature the advertising industry.
I was watching What Women Want with the boy last weekend. For those of you that missed this one, (just turn on TBS any given night) the basic premise is about a big-headed ad exec that thinks he can get any woman he wants. It's only after he can read their minds that he realizes his macho behavior is seen as unattractive by the opposite sex. After stealing "the big idea" from a colleague he realizes his wrong doing and they kiss and make up.
Next up is How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Another egotistical creative director thinks he can get any girl to fall in love with him. To win the "big campaign" he makes a bet with the two corporate ladder-climbing bitches that he can get any woman to fall in love with him. The movie ends with him and Kate Hudson kissing and making up.
Another ad-centric movie is Picture Perfect with Jennifer Aniston. Main character, Kate, is passed up for a promotion since she is still single and has no ties to the company. After her boss pressures her to get a man she convinces one to be her fiancee. She also grabs the attention of the hot shot creative (ahhh Kevin Bacon) she's always wanted. In the end, everyone kisses and makes up.
Along with stereotyping, these movies are all chick flicks. Are we all dying to fall in love with ad execs? Are there truths to these stereotypes? What are some other movies? I know I'm missing some.
Congratulations to Carnival cruise lines [and their ad agency Arnold Worldwide] for taking us off the boat with the fake looking children going down the water slide.
I love this because it separates Carnival from all the other really big boats. They are about fun and this is what each ad shows us. These ads are simple and unexpected. Thanks Carnival!
Libby and I (and I'm sure some of you) saw this pop up in our Facebook feeds last week and this morning I noticed some of my friends were "attending" All-new Grey's Anatomy Thursday January 8th at 9/8c on ABC. As far as I can tell they appear that they were posted by the networks themselves, are branded enough to convey all the info they need to, yet are written in Facebook friendly language.
In case you don't feel like checking the pages out, here are a few quick stats as of Friday morning.
Nip/Tuck Page
72,093 confirmed guests
One posted link
One posted video
5051 wall posts ("I can't wait...Christian is my hero" and "I've heard that after the upcoming part II of season 5 airs, there will only be one more season left! =( Is that true? Can anyone confirm?")
Grey's Anatomy Page
4,443 confirmed guests (maybe a new post? Or obvsiously not as good as Nip/Tuck! Or maybe non-Facebook audience?)
One posted video
148 wall posts (I'm going with new post. I'll keep an eye on this event to see how it expands through people sharing and update you all later!)
So what of it?
Users control the fate of the event popularity. I saw that Libby was attending and since we usually have "let's kill a bottle (or two) of wine and watch TV night" at least once a week, I figured I should also attend. I saw both events in the news feed and was curious enough to check it out.
It's a friendly reminder of when the season premier is. We're used to checking Facebook for the latest and greatest dirt. Our attention is focused on looking for info, why not have it be a quick reminder about one of my favorite shows.
Even though the events are branded, my friends are the ones passing along the information and sharing the news. ______ is attending _____ show. Peer advice over experts is favored by Gen Y.
It's a great opportunity for fans of the brand/show to talk about how much they love it, even just a short "I love me some Kimber!"
I could go on, but I'd rather hear from you! What do you think of these branded season premier events?
The writers of Yaybia are the most intelligent, creative, and passionate young women in Minneapolis advertising. Yaybia is our thoughts, frustrations, musings, questions, and opinions about our industry.
DISCLAIMER: Said opinions are OURS, not those of the companies we work for. We're not representing those companies, or their clients, or anyone but ourselves. Interested in contacting one or all of us? Yaybia [at] gmail [dot] com. <3
Thanks to the popularity of the micro-blogging site, the news of the crash spread quicker than reporters could get on the scene. A Twitter-user on a nearby ferry snapped a pic with his iPhone (brief sigh of envy) and sent it to the photo application called 
