After months of complaining about why anyone would wanted to start a blog, Brian Heller has capitulated. Take special note of the design, it's spectacular.
http://boywonderesq.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
The Best eCards Ever
When you care enough to send the very funniest, go here: www.someecards.com
A few samples to whet your appetite:
A few samples to whet your appetite:
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
New IM Shorthand
lal - "laughing at loser"
It can be used at the person you're speaking to, yourself, or someone else. For example:
"Tony just bashed that guy's teeth in - LAL!"
"You're wearing black pants with brown shoes - LAL!"
"I have herpes - lal."
Try it out and spread the word.
It can be used at the person you're speaking to, yourself, or someone else. For example:
"Tony just bashed that guy's teeth in - LAL!"
"You're wearing black pants with brown shoes - LAL!"
"I have herpes - lal."
Try it out and spread the word.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Friday, May 18, 2007
Starburst Ad Remakes
Viral marketing at work! The ad is so popular that it's being remade over and over:
girls have too much time
describing it a recess
nothing better to do at a slumber party?
This, of course, is part of a larger trend where the younger generations feel the need/desire to publicize their lives for public consumption. They take what they find interesting, incorporate (the fancy term is interpolate) it into their lives and then spit it back out.
My key takeaway is that effective advertising to youth markets is more than just flash and fluff. You need a compelling idea (the fancy term is meme) that is funny, or serious, or sad...doesn't matter. But it needs to stick with a few, who can then spread it to others. This is the essence of viral marketing, spreading memes from brain to brain where it takes hold until the next one comes along.
girls have too much time
describing it a recess
nothing better to do at a slumber party?
This, of course, is part of a larger trend where the younger generations feel the need/desire to publicize their lives for public consumption. They take what they find interesting, incorporate (the fancy term is interpolate) it into their lives and then spit it back out.
My key takeaway is that effective advertising to youth markets is more than just flash and fluff. You need a compelling idea (the fancy term is meme) that is funny, or serious, or sad...doesn't matter. But it needs to stick with a few, who can then spread it to others. This is the essence of viral marketing, spreading memes from brain to brain where it takes hold until the next one comes along.
The New Starburst Ads
Have you seen this? Maybe not. If you have and were like me, it just left you confused. It introduces a new character they invented to promote new Starburst Berries & Cream. It has nothing to do with anything product related, just an absurd character with no connection to reality. It's actually really funny, but funny/strange instead of funny/smart.
Here is the ad they show on tv. (This blog will make more sense if you watch the video clips in order). Funny, but strange. But on YouTube and making the viral rounds is a longer clip that shows the backstory. The character is still weird, but now the story of the ad makes a little more sense.
The strange thing is that they aren't showing the back-story in the ads, relying on word-of-mouth to get the story across. I guess Starburst is hoping to draw in fewer, more dedicated brand loyalists that get the joke, rather than a mass marketing campaign to a wider full audience. It's an interesting case study. Consumers must seek out the answers to advertising rather than having the message given to them on a silver platter.
This has been done before (sort of), mostly by car companies that show a 30 second movie and then direct you to their website to get the rest of the story. But this is different in that the ads aren't the introduction but the second chapter of the story.
It's definitely a bold move. Not sure what agency is behind it, but I'm guessing they did some heavy-duty research to see if this strategy holds any water. Will it work? Who knows. The more important question is whether this kind of campaign, where consumers are in the dark and must seek out answers, will work. It worked for Lost, so maybe...
Here is the ad they show on tv. (This blog will make more sense if you watch the video clips in order). Funny, but strange. But on YouTube and making the viral rounds is a longer clip that shows the backstory. The character is still weird, but now the story of the ad makes a little more sense.
The strange thing is that they aren't showing the back-story in the ads, relying on word-of-mouth to get the story across. I guess Starburst is hoping to draw in fewer, more dedicated brand loyalists that get the joke, rather than a mass marketing campaign to a wider full audience. It's an interesting case study. Consumers must seek out the answers to advertising rather than having the message given to them on a silver platter.
This has been done before (sort of), mostly by car companies that show a 30 second movie and then direct you to their website to get the rest of the story. But this is different in that the ads aren't the introduction but the second chapter of the story.
It's definitely a bold move. Not sure what agency is behind it, but I'm guessing they did some heavy-duty research to see if this strategy holds any water. Will it work? Who knows. The more important question is whether this kind of campaign, where consumers are in the dark and must seek out answers, will work. It worked for Lost, so maybe...
Saturday, May 12, 2007
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