Return Your Next Rental Car Like This

... if you can get one with power. Not sure if the unicycle with an engine that we recently rented would actually be able to pull this off.

We saw this gem last night and immediately knew we had to put it up as an "Ad We Like". I'm sure the Mercedes people have been breathlessly awaiting our opinion, right?

You Can Blame Drew's Cancer If You Want

There's no doubt that cancer is a serious thing. Each of us knows someone who's been afflicted with it, and we all know how different people handle it in different ways.

Drew Olanoff was diagnosed with Cancer on May 20th of this year, and decided that he was going to fight. In fact, he decided that the only way to win his battle was to literally beat up on Cancer. Insult it, back it into a corner, and blame everything on it from losing keys to the Phillies losing (seems to happen a lot lately).

So Drew built a website called blamedrewscancer.com.

Through this website and a tie-in with Twitter, Drew's collecting tweets of people blaming their own things on his cancer. He aggregates the tweets on his website, which makes for comical fare, but better than that, he's also putting together a sponsorship deal in association with the American Cancer Society for a dollar donation from every tweet blaming Drew's cancer for whatever.

So far, it's gotten coverage on NBC and multiple, multiple websites. A great cause. A great illustration of how creativity is the future of spreading messages in social media. And a great reason to log into your Twitter account and blame something on Drew's cancer.

Gettin' Jiggy. Goin' Viral.

Great article in yesterday's nytimes.com online technology section that spotlights a fantastic ad that will get you out of your seat and bustin' a move. Loved it the first time we saw it, and the story that the Times published does a good job of using the ad to springboard into other issues facing advertising today.

What's interesting about the spot (for T-Mobile) is that it ran only once on television in its entirety. What's more enlightening is the interest it has created online, generating over 12 million views. Not bad, considering the cost of the media buy on YouTube was $0.

The article uses these viral viewing statistics to illustrate the point that brand communication is undergoing a dramatic shift, driven primarily by the internet. True, this should come as no surprise to anyone following advertising trends, but a nice twist on a frequently discussed topic. Also of interest is the discussion about how this changing landscape is forcing marketers and agencies to re-examine traditional agency compensation structures. Again, not new, but well illustrated by the T-Mobile spot and the low associated cost for generating an enormous viewership via the web.

Read the article here.

On a side note, we noticed that when the article was originally published on the Times website, a link to the video was embedded within it. Now ... not. Seems a little "un-Web 2.0", doesn't it?



Funny how a commercial can give you a new appreciation for 5 seconds of a Kool & The Gang song.

Media Update: Newspapers To Be Delivered By Computer

Being that we're a part of the media world, we thought this was fascinating, if not a little unbelievable. It appears that - get this - one day, we'll be able to get news and information through a computer at home.

What's next? A phone with buttons? Stores that only sell coffee? If they can just get the price of computers down below $10,000 they may be onto something.

Sometimes, You Gotta Get Out There

Think Twitter's just a great place to let people know whether you're having a salami sandwich or SPAM for lunch? OK, it's great for that, but if you've got enough creativity in you, it can be a lot more.

Like this, for example: http://thisischriskahle.com/projects/cpbtweet/

Not only did this guy get a lot of exposure for his creativity and thought processes, he raised a few bucks for charity and landed a new job at one of the hottest shops in the country.

Want to get someone's attention in social media? Then it will require thought and finding the right way to connect with people that may not be apparent at first.

What's interesting about this is to reverse-engineer it. At some point, this person was sitting there and thought "I want a job with CP+B. Wonder how I'd get it." In other words, he started from ground zero and began moving down a path that probably wasn't entirely clear. But he knew where he wanted to go.

The finished product was a campaign for his own talents, which utilized multiple touch points and involved multiple audiences all pushing one thing: him.

Interesting. Inspiring. Exciting. Well done, man.

Someone's Stealing Post-It Notes

Not from here, but from somewhere. Or else, this guy's spending a fortune on them.

Generally, we try and post things that are advertising-based or something like that. Given that design is a big part of advertising, we figured this would be a good weekend post.

The following is the senior project of Bang-yao Liu at Savannah College of Art & Design. It's ... well, it's just cool. And creative. Mr. Liu's got a bright future in design, and given that his video on YouTube has received over 900,000 views, we're guessing that he'll easily land a job and ace his final project.

See, we did bring it back to advertising - self promotion and the web. Bingo.

Have a great weekend everyone.



To see how this was done (which makes the video even more impressive), go here: http://bit.ly/16NnQu

Thanks to 1201 Alum Matt Altmix for passing this along via Facebook.

To The Moon, Alice!

At the risk of bordering on uber-geek we'd like to applaud the good people at NASA for keeping up with the times. Of course, you'd expect that from rocket scientists, but they're really getting into the swing of things with their latest effort.

The project itself is pretty interesting: LCROSS (or Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite) will be hoisted into space aboard the powerfully-named Centaur rocket today with the purpose of triggering explosions within craters on the moon to determine if water is embedded within. Interesting in two ways: (a) rockets are cool (b) blowing things up is cool, provided nobody gets hurt.

What really caught our eye though, is that we, the non-rocket-propulsion-inclined, can follow the satellite's every move through social media. Like a good satellite, LCROSS lets us pick the best way to keep up on the latest, including NASA TV, Facebook, and Twitter.

LCROSS should meet up with the moon in about 111 days, although we think if they kick in the flux capacitor it might be quicker than that. In the meantime, you can follow along and pretend you're Ed Harris in The Right Stuff. It's also quite cheaper than riding in Richard Branson's space rig.

Over all, a great way to utilize interactive media to get people interested in something they might not otherwise know or care about. May the force be with them.

Comments from the LCROSS Facebook page









UPDATE: Here are some recent status updates from the LCROSS Facebook page, each followed by multiple, multiple positive comments. Very cool.

LCROSS Lunar Impactor Mission
So my BFF LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) has successfully separated - we're both on our way to the Moon. See you there, LRO! 40 minutes ago

LCROSS Lunar Impactor Mission
Here I go -- liftoff from Cape Canaveral! LRO and LCROSS on our way to the MOON!!! Launch was on June 18, 2009 at 5:32 p.m. ET. Awesome! 42 minutes ago

What's Your Why?

In a world of commodity everything, where Brand A is no different than Brand B and Brand C, it's great to find companies who set out from the start to avoid making just another equivalent of a different product, better known as Brand ZZZ.

This story on ABC News Nightline resonated with us because we eat a LOT of Chipotle and also because it shows how differentiation isn't just about packaging and positioning. It's something that - at greatest impact - goes to the core of your business.

At Chipotle, they are trying to change the hidden ingredient assumptions about fast food ... no easy task but an effort that can cause people to look differently at their product. In a world of burrito shops on every other corner (what a great world), Chipotle has tied its future to differentiation, even at a higher supply and raw materials cost. Based on their sales, it's a strategy that more companies should adopt.

Maybe your company wasn't founded on magnificent dreams of unchaperoned pigs roaming the woods and rolling in slop as a point of differentiation, but surely there's something that you do that is truly unique. Maybe it's the people. Maybe it's the technology. Maybe it's the way your customer service reps are able to make everyone feel all happy inside when they finish talking to them. Whatever it is, if you can find it, you've got real magic.

Even when pricing is a major consideration, people like to feel they are making a decision on a purchase or selection because it offers some kind of value to their lives. Chipotle has recognized that and - wait for it - wrapped their communication and identity around it.

Video will open in new window.












Side note: Doesn't ABC News' video feed service have a better way of matching ads with content? Below are two ads we were served as the Chipotle story queued up. Hmm. Unfortunate & ironic.

Seamless Marketing: Layer Tennis

For anyone looking to find out how to get your product noticed, used, championed, and sold, look no further than Layer Tennis from Coudal Partners.

As described on their site, here's how it works: Two competitors swap a file back and forth in real-time, adding to and embellishing the work. Each artist gets fifteen minutes to complete a “volley” and then we post it to the site live. A third participant, a writer, provides play-by-play commentary on the action, as it happens. A match lasts for ten volleys and is then voted on by "Season Ticket Holders".

What makes it work for Adobe?
1) The software used is mostly - if not all - Adobe software.
2) The site is heavy on Adobe messaging.
3) Designers make Adobe software look like a million bucks.
4) It's cool.

Don't get it? Then most likely you're not a part of Adobe's target audience for high-end design software. But if you do get it, you'll probably spend a lot of time here and tell your friends, who'll no doubt pass it on.

Entertainment, product interaction by pros, two-way communication. It's a slick mix of all the right stuff to help Adobe build on its powerful cult following.

Want to get the most out of the internet? More and more, you'll have to stop thinking solely about beating people over the head with your message and start thinking about something more meaningful: engagement.

Nice "here's how it works" and chronology of an actual match from Digital Kitchen here: http://tinyurl.com/d6q96m

Props to 1201 Alum Kris Todd for his mammoth performance in one of this year's qualifier rounds, in which he crushed the competition.

We Gotta Get One Of These

From BakerTweet, a great way to put Twitter to work in what one would think is a decidedly low-tech industry: the corner bakery.

The idea is simple: Get your customers to follow you on Twitter. Connect a really cool gadget to the kitchen. Then let 'em know when the hot stuff's hot and watch as they line up for your fresh doughnuts and bear claws. Bonus ... they'll think the whole concept is so cool they'll get their friends in on it too, who just happen to want fresh doughnuts and bear claws of their own.

So is there a practical application of Twitter for everything in the universe? Hmmm. Maybe so.

We're putting the full-court press on the lady who runs the corner shop downstairs to install one of these gadgets to let us know when the hot dogs are ready. Hellooooo, cholesterol.

Strangers Driving You Home? Looks Like Fun.

Not that we find ourselves in this situation often, but every once in a while getting back home may require the intervention of another driver.

That's why we couldn't help but love this great ad from Heineken. Sure, everyone understands the dangers of drinking and driving, but this puts another spin on it. Not only is being a responsible drinker - well, responsible - it can also be fun.

Anyone who's ever taken a cab home with friends after a late night can appreciate this. What a great angle for getting people to file their keys away and take the safe way home. PS - Great music choice. Nobody beats the Biz.

Cool Bike. Cooler Strategy.

Talk about a great way to promote a great product, how about this one from Madsen Cycles? A viral contest that rewards people for helping them do their advertising for free.

Here's how it works: You go to the Madsen website. You find easy directions for putting a link on anything from your blog to Twitter or your Facebook page. Then, you tell your friends to click away while you start formulating the plan for which baseball cards you're going to put in the spokes.

Everyone who links gets an entry into a drawing. The top 20 traffic generators go into an additional drawing (tracking gives them the information).

And there you have it. Great strategy for a cool product. Wonder if it can clear a seven logs on the jump at the old neighborhood empty lot?

Now, what are you waiting for ... click our link so we can win this baby.