SAW a good idea

Virgin Atlantic Designs Course for Fearful Passengers

Yesterday Virgin Atlantic announced it's Fear of Flying course, that supposedly has a 98% success rate, and unveiled the accompanying iPhone app intended to coach passengers through their attacks of fear while on board.  Included in the app are facts about flying, a Q&A section, and breathing techniques for fear emergencies while in the air. 

Talk about marketing as service!  Given that 1 in 3 adults are scared of flying, I'd say they are hitting a wide market with this one, and, in addition, are helping individuals make big strides in their personal lives.  This is the same thingPorter Gale, VP of Marketing at VA, discussed in her presentation last week at the 140 Characters Conference in LA, when she said Virgin Atlantic is striving through tech and social media to help their customers on a more personal level.  I'd say they are doing a darn good job at it.  What's next?

Blog Action Day 2009: The Changes We've Made

Today is Blog Action Day, and the topic this year is Climate Change.  Renegade has been working to improve our relationship with the environment for over two years now, and I believe we've accomplished a great deal. 

Here's a quick summary of the things we've done in the past 2 years:

• Cut our copy paper usage 44% per person by printing double-sided
• Decreased our energy usage 75% by using more fans and windows and less AC, using laptops instead of desktops, and shutting down our computers every night
• Banned paper coffee cups and plastic mugs and replaced them with glass (a move that paid for itself in terms of footprint size and fiscal cost in less than a month)
• Stopped ordering cardboard boxes and began reusing the packing materials we receive in the mail
• Began recycling!
• Supplied tire pressure gauges to every Renegade with a car to promote fuel economy
• Switched to a hybrid car service
• Made the switch to eco-friendly cleaning supplies

There's still so much more work to be done to lessen Renegade's impact on the environment (not to mention the rest of of the ad industry).  By taking the initiative to improve our impact as a company, we've impressed upon many who have worked with us in the past 2 years the importance of making eco-changes in their own lives - an accomplishment in and of itself.  I believe it is the responsibility of companies like Renegade to show their workers and as many other people as they can how to protect the environment, rather than harm it.

Back in 2007 we created a screen saver that gives tips for being green and allows users to contribute. It's called the Greensaver. Download it now!

VW's Theory of Fun

Volkswagen is, as usual, doing things differently and getting some some positive attention for it. 

This morning a composer friend of mine posted a video on Facebook of "piano key" stairs.  His post had nothing to do with VW advertising and less to do with marketing in general.  He just found the video interesting because of his relationship with music (I'm sure of this because he posted the Swedish version of the video and he definitely doens't speak their language).  After finishing watching the video, I clicked on the link, expecting to be directed to some sort of music school related experiment site, and was (momentarily) suprised to be directed to a lightly branded VW website proclaiming (once I ticked the UK flag for English):

"This site is dedicated to the thought that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better. Be it for yourself, for the environment, or something entirely different, the only thing that matters is that it’s change for the better."

This mini guerrilla campaign/behavioral experiment is doing exactly that:

The piano installation was created to encourage people to make the healthier choice to take the stairs instead of using an escalator.  The before and after shots of the staircase vs. the escalator prove the trick works.

The next video depicting "The World's Deepest [Trash] Bin," an outdoor public garbage can that makes a cartoonish sound of something falling very very far, had the effect of getting park-goers to not only throw away their own trash, but also to clean up the rest of the park just to hear the falling sound again. 

Next, they promise to come up with a fun way to recycle. 

I say, GO TEAM VOLKSWAGEN (BDB Stockholm)!  This bare bones project of theirs sure is a great example of a lot of good things advertising: marketing as service, combining online and offline, and making a good idea viral by keeping it open-ended and by not shoving a ton of branding down the throats of those who couldn't care less about cars (i.e. my buddy the composer).

Twitter (R)evolution

Twitter began making daily headlines this year as Oprah joined on in April and Ashton Kutcher became the first user to score one million followers.  Celebrity participation on Twitter put this social media venture on the map for many who weren't already in the know, and it has definitely helped to stimulate Twitter's 73% growth since January.

In the past two and a half weeks, popular discourse about Twitter has changed drastically. No longer are people discussing Twitter as an opt-in celebrity gossip magazine. The talk has changed to Twitter as a global news source, an aspect of Twitter that has been discussed by new media enthusiasts and journalists for a while (see recap of @media140). 

Following the widely disputed re-election of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on June 12th, the start of massive rallies in many Iranian cities, and Iran's subsequent clamp-down on foreign journalism, protesting Iranians turned to Twitter to report their situation.  The tweets from Iran (along with many Iranian blogs) then became a primary, although unverifiable and a bit skewed, source to the foreign press for information about the developing unrest.  Not only was Twitter being used by Iranian demonstrators to spread news, photos and videos of the unfolding events to each other, newsrooms around the world began publishing the tweets from Iran to keep readers abreast of the developments.

That weekend, a tidal wave of frightening information and links to terrifying photos and videos was flooding in from Iran via Twitter. Quickly the hashtag* #IranElection became the number one trending topic. People around the world began to rally in support of the Iranian dissidents and twitterers from everywhere colored their avatars green in support of the protesters and their “Sea of Green.”

Due in part to the attention the uprising was receiving, but mainly due to Twitter’s obvious function as sole communication tool for protesters coming under attack, The US State Department contacted Twitter headquarters the weekend following the election, and asked them to delay their scheduled site maintenance on June 15th to aid the communication of Iranians on the street.  This action by the State Department was an unprecedented event for new media, and it’s a prime example of Twitter’s impact on global awareness.   

Since June 12th, #IranElection has left the trending topics only briefly before Twitterers have united to raise its popularity by “tweeting it up,” and the online sea of green continues in solidarity with those wearing green half a world away.

Twitter has become a vital part of media, not just social or new media, but as an important news source and avenue for communicating events as they happen. It has raised global awareness of many important issues (not just in Iran), and generated support and activism in the global community.

The distress of the Iranian people is heavy on my mind, as I’ve followed these events closely and watched history being made in real time. It’s been difficult for me to speak objectively on this subject, but as it is making communication history NOW, I’m happy to discuss it here.  Following #IranElection has been an exciting, sobering, downright scary, yet valuable experience for me.

*If you haven’t heard the term hashtag before, that’s because it’s a term used only in reference to Twitter.  Hashtags are topical phrases proceeded by a # without spaces that twitterers use to participate in public discussion. 

SonarSound NYC 2009

Two nights ago I attended SonarSound NY, a presentation given by Barcelona’s Festival of Advanced Music in cooperation with the Institut Ramon Llull, a Catalan cultural organization.  If you follow me on Twitter, chances are you read my verging-on-hysterical tweets about seeing (and playing!) a ReacTable for the first time.

Though seeing the ReacTable was the sole purpose of my voyage into the Barishnikov Arts Center, it wasn't the only thrill of the evening.

Next door to the ReacTable demo, a wild interactive art piece was presented by Marcel·lí Antúnez Roca.  Roca's Metamembrana is composed of four multi-layered projections and a few interactive elements: four patterned rugs intended to be trodded upon, and a bird house set on a low podium, into which the viewer is asked to scream.  By stepping on the rugs and screaming into the birdhouse, the viewers trigger a video collage of flamenco-inspired performances depicting stories of love, war and death.

The goal of Metamembrana (I'm paraphrasing a google translation of the artist's own words here) is to  engage the viewer in its own production by using their faces (captured from inside the birdhouse), by adding entities and elements gathered from each place it visits, and by creating a unique experience at each show, based on the participation of the viewers. 

The other notable performances were from Prefuse 73, a three-person DJ set of densely layered sound, distortion and hip-hop beats, DJ/Rupture, whose music mashup magic inspired a surge of dancing, and a live minimal soundtrack to "Goodbye Dragon Inn" by Fibla and Arbol.

This event was complete success: positive, energizing, and mind-exploding.  It had to go on this blog.

Adidas iPhone App for Berlin Street Art Brings Value to Consumers

Late last Friday, I caught an article link to springwise about Adidas' new iPhone app, Adidas Urban Art Guide to Berlin.  This was right after I read a good little post on The Customer Collective about being a great salesman by providing value for your customers, while acknowledging the sale as only the byproduct of the business to consumer relationship.

Needless to say, Adidas recognizes its reputation as an urban brand, and by engaging its customers through their interests, increases its street cred.  This is obviously a situation in which taking an indirect route to a sale will benefit a brand and further its influence in the culture within which it is already associated, thereby if not attracting more loyal customers, retaining the ones it already has.  Thanks for the great example, Adidas!   

Foursquare Without a Ball? Interview(s) with a well-spiced user/competitor...

Going A.D.D. at a Renegade status meeting last week, my mind wandered to foursquare, and how I could use it to enhance my busy social media/party-and-bar-hopping regime.

In case you don’t know what foursquare is (most of my friends don’t), here’s a quick breakdown:

Foursquare is a mobile location-reporting sms service with apps designed for iPhones and smart phones.   Users check in from places they hang out in via text, and if they have the web on their phones, can view their friends’ locations plotted on a map.   Further, foursquare gives users points when they check in to places, as well as badges for late night frequency or for when they do something kooky. This service is local and is offered in 12 US cities so far.

Since I don’t have an iPhone, I hadn’t signed up, figuring that without the GPS mapping enjoyed by foursquare’s iPhone users, playing on a regular mobile would be like trying out a new hairdo on a rainy day.  (It turns out that I'm right about that, but I think I'll stick with it because I'm bound to get a smart phone soon).

But still…I consider foursquare’s iPhone app such a  curious concept that I wanted to write about it.  So, I called up Martina Fugazzotto, my go-to girl for html questions, updates on all things cute and trendy, spontaneous dance/karaoke parties, social media pep-talks, and, more recently, iPhone app demos.  Martina has been involved in the social web since long before most of us merged onto the Information Super Highway, beginning with her early infatuation with gurl.com and subsequent creation of her own website at the age of 15 (around 10 years ago).  She was happy to discuss my new hot topic.

First, I asked Martina (MF) about Google’s similar, but now defunct sms app, Dodgeball.  Indeed, she had played it in college to find her friends at parties.  However, she quickly grew tired of typing code and threw it out in favor of mass texting.

Second, I brought up Twitter.

 “The whole point of foursquare is that it’s only about being social.  Twitter is more about sharing info and links. Foursquare is straight up letting everyone know what you're doing and who you're with. No one is being coy or pretending that they are responsible or well versed.  It’s just about competing in going out.”

I thought I’d brought up a good topic since my first impression of Twitter was that it was a meet-up tool.  I guess that aspect of its functionality is long gone.  Needless to say, this past weekend I stopped using Twitter to publish my whereabouts.

A few weeks ago, Martina was number one on the foursquare leader board, but got nothing special for it.  There was no badge, nor any mention on the foursquare homepage. 

“Even just a little badge that says, I won for the week of----- would be really cool, but it was still satisfying to know that I really won.  It made me feel cool.”

On foursquare ethics, MF quips, “I don’t cheat.  I never cheat.  I have integrity when it comes to my foursquare, but I think sometimes my ex might pad it a little bit--yeah, he adds a little padding to his check-ins.” 

Clearly her ex is her biggest competitor.

“It’s really a very petty competition.  The reason I first used Dodgeball in college was because I wanted to find out where everyone was at any given time.  What is really cool, though, is that sometimes when you get somewhere and check in, you get recommendations from other people who have checked in there before and left tips on what special to order, or…anything!”

I think this is a great idea.  Imagine the possibilities!  Dennis Crowley and Naveen Selvadurai already have.  In fact, they are comparing Foursquare to The Legend of Zelda video game, but are also trying to overcome the zealotry of the highly competitive users (see second interview below) in favor of a more collaborative and experiential application.  The tips should help that, I think.  But foursquare needs more users first! 

So sign up, my friends!  Let’s share even more about where we’ve been and what we’ve done, and leave  tips, so it’s even more exciting to go out! 

>>>MF’s second interview, where her competitive side (and her self-publicized breakup) show. <<<

This morning I noticed Logan, Martina’s ex, had taken over her mayor-hood at Le Gamin in Brooklyn.

Here’s the chat I just had with her about that:

MF: Being a "mayor" of a place is awesome. it means you are IN with that place.  And when someone takes away your mayor-hood, you're like "who is that dude? We should be friends since we both spend a lot of time here.”

KG: except when it’s your ex.

MF: yes. Logan stole a mayor-hood from me this morning, from Le Gamin, a coffee shop in our hood where we used to spend a lot of time. I was pissed. I was like "who is he going there with??"

KG: awwww.  himself, of course!  better be.

MF: Yeah, well. When I saw he took my mayor-hood, I showed up there this morning so I could check in, and he was there.  So we had coffee together basically just because we both wanted to be mayors.  I endured coffee with my ex so that I could be the mayor of Le Gamin.

KG: NO WAY!!  Can I publish that?

MF: You can publish the entire story.
And when I got there, he said "SHIT. Now you're going to check in after me and possibly steal back the mayor-hood."
We are very competitive.

Because this competitiveness is common amongst foursquare users, Dennis Crowley said in the Post that, "If you keep doing the same things over and over again, if you go to the same place several times a week, your points get taken away."

I’d better warn Martina!  But first I think I should get some more friends to play with -- preferably some who haven’t dated each other.

WiiSpray: Virtual Painting

Just saw this cool video on gaming blog offworld.com of a graffitti game for Wii:

WiiSpray Teaser from Martin Lihs on Vimeo.

Designer Martin Lihs developed this open-ended game, in partnership with Montana Paint, in an effort to "give graffiti a new virtual level surpassing tactile boundaries of the tangible world."  I think the guerrilla aspect of graffitti is lost in this concept, but nevertheless, I dig it for two reasons:

1) Its simplicity.  No instructions are needed to interpret the console, so users are free to explore the possibilities on their own -- ie. get creative faster.  The simplicity of the program is what gives it fluidity, makes it easy to get from concept to creation.

2) Its cleanliness.  One can tag up their wall until there's no tomorrow without inhaling any xylene fumes or covering themselves in toxic paint.   This is more of a plus for someone who is an actual graffitti artist because they can practice and plan their pieces without mucking up so many walls and brain cells.  In that light, I guess it's a plus for moms as well.

Twhat If?

Enough has been written about Twitter in the past month for me to avoid explaining the phenomenom.  A great guide for marketers getting started on Twitter, written by Drew Neisser, is here.  I'm going to jump into the conversation with a bit on one Twitter app, and then quickly digress into one of my [brilliant] rants...

I heard on the radio this morning that plants can now Twit.  For $99, plant lovers can get their plants to talk back to them via Twitter.  Botanicalls is the name of the device that will tweet your plant's water needs to you (and said plant's followers), so you don't forget to take care of it.  It turns your plant into a living Tamagotchi! HOW COOL!

 

This made me think what if...  What if I/we/somebody created a climate change awareness campaign using Twitter to publicize the decay of our planet?!  I know scientists are using sensors to track climate change, so let's make the sensors tweet updates in layman's terms, buy up some digital and outdoor ad space (ad space that targets world leaders, influencers, and big business execs -- that is, those with the power to fund and enforce change), and go live! 

P.S. I tweet, and I'm easy to find.  Let's follow each other!

Ford Takes the FREEway, too!

Great article this morning on Mediapost about Ford's new Fiesta giveaway.  Yes, I said it.  Fiesta giveaway.  Not like a party that they will throw you and your favorite five people, like a brand new car model you get to drive for FREE for six months.  And I mean FREE -- they even cover your gas and insurance.

100 people will be picked from their video entries to the site fiestamovement.com to become Fiesta agents.

Says Ford:

"We’re looking for an elite crop of drivers to take the wheel: people with a strong presence on the web, an ability to craft a compelling story through video, and a hunger for adventure. As a driver, you’ll receive monthly secret assignments from Ford Mission Control that will take you to places you’ve never been, to meet people you’ve never met, and to experiences you’ll never forget. And you’ll bring your friends and followers along for the ride."

Think you have what it takes?  Well, you'd better make a video fast, because they've already had over a 1,500 entries to the competition.  Luckily, they are already showing off their favorite videos on the site, so I'd recommend checking those and improving their methods for your own benefit.  Judging from their three favorites, I think they are favoring personality and popularity over editing skills.

Lion Brand Gives It Away

Lion Brand Yarn has a great method for keeping their customers engaged: free pattern sharing. 

The Lion Brand website has over 2,000 free knitting, crocheting, and yarn craft patterns.  They also offer videocasts of how tos, a wealth of free information for anyone who knits, crochets, or wants to learn how. 

This is a great resource worth sharing!

Open Source, She Says

I've never been lured by a woman-only group before, but, since my friend (and former Renegade) Sonali Sridhar was speaking about her work as an Interactive Architect at an open source software company, I was happily reeled in to a new experience: an event hosted by SheSays, a group that "was founded in March 2007 in the UK with the aim to help women further their careers in digital advertising through informative debates and a bespoke mentoring scheme."   

Briefly on the subject of interacting with only women involved in the Ad/Interactive/Marketing Biz: WOW!  I loved every minute of it.  I felt fully embraced by this group of intelligent, driven, and opinionated ideaters.  The experience was liberating and confidence-boosting.  Sorry boys, but the girls rock at talking  ideas - which brings me to the subject of open source.

For those who are unfamiliar with the term "open source," it refers to anything collaborative and open to those who wish to attribute and contribute.  In addition to Sonali's presentation about the history of and current trends in open source software, which introduced the groundwork and methodology for open source culture, we had two other presentations from two brilliant companies founded on this philosophy.

The first was from the founders of BurdaSyle, an open source sewing site where members create and share copyright-free sewing patterns, advise each other on sewing techiniques, develop project ideas, and show off their creations.  In the same spirit of wikipedia, Burdastyle's philosophy is the antithesis of  the fashion industry's elitism.  It is an open forum for social design.

The second presentation was about Design 21: Social Design Network, a company created in partnership with Fellissimo (a global design and merchandise company) and UNESCO, which seeks to unite designers in a globally-influential and collaborative way to positively impact the world. 

They state their mission much more clearly on their site, so I'll let them speak for themselves. 

All in all it was an inspiring evening that was well-peppered with discussion and debate.  There was one really great question brought up in our discussion last night that I want to ask before I sign off. 

How can competitive design be considered social design?

This question was raised because Design 21 encourages participation by hosting regular design competitions to solve global problems.  The disconnect between competition and social improvement is something to consider.  I want to know what you think.

 

Renegade Recalls Long-Winded Names

Recently Renegade Marketing Group, LLC shortened our name to just plain Renegade.   In the wake of this change, we have felt great relief over making our name shorter.  Why?  Less weight, less wordage, and a shorter URL.   

To promote this change and to share the bliss of brevity, we made a little interactive flash piece for our friends called The Eliminamer.  This algorithm-based "game" asks visitors a few general questions about their teenage years, their parents, and their future aspirations, and, from their answers, reassigns them with a new, one-word name. 

Try it out and tell me what you think! 

Yours Truly,
Crash, Formerly Known as Kirsten Hedman Gronberg

Flash Game Love(Addiction) at Renegade

One of the best parts of constantly being on the web, is finding and playing the oddest games I can get my hands on.

In honor of this summer's funniest, hardest, and frustratingest (yes, I made that word up) internet games to hit our our monitor screens, I submit these five gems in no particular order, all found and shared by our Technical Group Director, Mr. Jason Wurtzel:

Enjoy!

1) I Don't Even Know, Created by Peter Polack

This is one childishly illustrated little click through of a game.  It's not so much a game as it is a goofy interactive story, broken down into silly missions which are explained in poor grammar and spelling. 

2) Coign of Vantage, Created by Bobblebrook

I can offer no explanation for this game's rewarding and addictive qualities.  You just have to try it, especially if you are feeling visually inclined.  Instructions are on the site.

3) Sunny Day Sky, created by Orisinal

This game is simple, well-designed and highly effective in the category of Mid-afternoon Happiness Induction.  I love this game because it involves very little hand-eye coordination (all you have to do it click your mouse) to play, and by play I mean pretend you are a little bear who is using his umbrella to float over cars on an ocean parkway.

4) Rose & Camellia, created by Nigoro

This mousing-only game features two women in a slapping fight.  It takes a while to load, has an long intro in Japanese script (that you can skip), but it's pretty easy.  Jay is Games translates the story behind the game as this:

Reiko has married into a noble family, but shortly afterwards her husband Siyunsuke dies. The women of the house do not respect Reiko, and she must beat them all in successive slap fights.

If this sounds like something you'll enjoy remember these instructions, as they are not on the site (in English anyway): quickly click on the box that appears in the right hand corner to attack and use your mouse to drag Rose's hand across Camellia's face. Sounds easy, right?

5) Polcarstva, game created by artist Denis Stepkin and the U Studio of Russia, soundtrack created by Sigur Ros

This point-and-click game is more of an interactive art project than it is a game.  The characters seem to have no real mission, but to explore a chaotic yet minimal landscape.  It takes a while to navigate, but the beautiful illustration and ethereal music make the time spent worthwhile.  Sigur Ros made the soundtrack.

In Russian Polcarstva means both Half a Kingdom, and [There is No] Half a Kingdom.  As this game is a bit frustrating, but also quite beautiful, this name seems so appropriate, like Dostoevsky himself could have come up with it.

McVideo Game

Not only did I run a multi-national fast food chain with a huge profit margin, but I did it all while riding the train last night.  Injecting hormones into my cows, bribing South American rulers to allow me to deforest their land for grazing, and firing counter-help just to improve work flow ... it was all in a day's work. 

The McDonald's Video Game allows you to take control of the company behind the clown and see if you can turn a profit.  As this is not sanctioned in any part by McDonald's, your only hope of turning a profit is by doing so in devious ways.  A combination of "The Sims" and "Lemonade Stand," the McDonald's Video Game aims to enlighten players on some of the not-so-friendly tactics employed by the fast-food industry.

It may not be the best advertisement for McDonald's, but it's incredibly effective and fun at getting the game designer's message across.

Do Not Adjust Your Monitor

I spent twenty minutes once typing in a secret code on a Star Wars DVD to bring up the Yoda rap.  It was totally worth it.  Secret "easter eggs" have made their way to websites.  Mostly, these are just fun throw-away items created by the developers for their own amusement. 

MINI is actively promoting the "easter eggs" on their site.  In the search bar on their site, type in "Reverse," "Take It For a Spin," "Under the Hood," or "MINImize," for a different perspective on things.

Get Turned On

In high school, I made a mix, consisting mostly of songs by Enya, which I used as the background music for the various make-out sessions my girlfriend and I used to get into.  If you haven't made out in the back of a 1986 Peugeot while listening to "Orinoco Flow", then I seriously suggest you try it. 

Obviously, I needed some help in the music department back then.  LuxuriaMusic.com has it figured out.  They play a non-stop mix of songs that'll help set the mood for a night of passion, or in my case as of late, working on the Sunday Times' crossword puzzle while consuming a half pint of Chubby Hubby and falling asleep in a puddle of my own drool. 

Renegade stepped in to get down and dirty with a guerrilla marketing campaign designed to promote LuxuriaMusic.  The campaign not only encourages the public to “Tune In. Turn On. Make Out” but also promotes safe shagging by distributing free condoms. Utilizing user generated content and wild postings, LuxuriaMusic hopes to bring the essence of its vintage-styled programming to life. 

Users are also encouraged to submit suggestions for "titillating tunes" that'll be played during the "Let's Get it On" show. 

Stinky, but no Blinky

I have friends who won't drive in Manhattan.  They feel the hand/eye coordination skills required to navigate the city streets are the same as the pod race drivers from Phantom Menace.  Luckily, Microsoft has made driving in the city a bit easier, and definitely more fun.

To promote their Live Search maps, Microsoft has created Live Derby, a promotion which turns the streets of cities like San Francisco and New York into virtual Pac-Man game. 

Who Did What Now?

There is a growing trend to market products by confusing people.  Show them something fascinating, but don't tell them what it is.  Such is the case with a mysterious trailer that aired before Transformers this week.  In the trailer, a group of friends attending a farewell party for a friend in New York City feel an earthquake.  Things go rapidly downhill from there, as they watch as downtown New York (and effectively Chelsea Market, where Renegade is headquartered) is obliterated in a fireball.  The trailer is capped off with the head of the Statue of Liberty sliding down a street.  Shot entirely with hand held cameras and without a title, no one is sure what to make of it.  One thing is positive, it got a lot of people talking.

Here's what we know.  J.J. Abrams (Lost, Felicity, Mission: Impossible 3) is producing the film.   Online tipsters directed people to this site, which offers cryptic information about someone named Ethan Haas.  The "cover" name for the film is Cloverfield, which is merely the road that the Paramount lot is on.  And finally, Matt Reeves is directing the film. 

This just goes to show you, if you want people to talk about your product, don't tell them what it is. 

[Update: View the trailer here.]

Looking in on the Neighbors

I'm not sure what it is.  I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do with it.  And for some reason, I feel like I shouldn't be looking at it. 

Find out more here.

Simpsons: The Marketing Push

I grew up a child of the Simpsons.  (No, not O.J. and Nicole)  From 1993-2001, my entire vernacular was made up of Simpsons quotes.  I knew all the characters, and waited eagerly each week for Sunday night to roll around so I could take a trip back into Springfield. 

To think that I was entering middle school when the show started and I'm now almost 30 gives a wonderful perception on what an institution the show has become.  (I was yelled at by my school principal when I was 10 for wearing a Bart Simpson "Who the hell are you?" T-shirt.)  But like that instance, the show has continued on steadfastly for so many years and we're finally getting the long-awaited Simpsons movie.

The marketing campaign is in full-effect with 7-11 stores converting to Kwik-E-Marts (complete with Krusty-O's and Buzz Beer).  Also, the official website gives fans a chance to turn themselves into Simpsons' characters in all their jaundiced glory.  (That would be the closest approximation to myself I could create at left)

Cippi the Chipmunk

My first thought when I stumbled across this game (via a post on makethelogobigger) was that it was pure genius.  Incredibly viral, at least for a certain demographic, because where else can you play a game that features squirrels farting icy air to put out forest fires??

However, upon reflection, this site only gets half of the job done.  Although it has an incredible amount of appeal and seems tailor-made to spread through dorm rooms and office cubes like fire, in the end the branding is just too light to even be remembered.  The marketer in me wants to see (slightly) more product messaging.

As always, the balance of a positive user experience and overt brand messaging comes into play.

Bud.tv, We Hardly Knew Ye

I'm supposed to fit into the ideal demographic for Bud.tv.   And yet, I hadn't been to their site until I began writing this post.  (I'm not sure I'll go back either)  Bud.tv, devised as an online entertainment network for Anheuser-Busch, was expected to cost more than $30 million in it's first year.  And yet, the venture moved on with the hope that they'd get a hold of that coveted target of men aged 21-34. 

Sometimes, however, you need to leave well enough alone.  Like the XFL before it, Bud.tv failed to intrigue the demographic and it crumbled under the weight of it's bloated budget and misguided marketing campaign.

However, the commercial featured in the video above made me laugh out loud.  So if this is what they've got in store for the revamped Bud.tv, I just may take a second look.

The Cycle Continues

Sometimes, we at SAW a Good Idea can't find the words to express our feelings.  Dr. Webster or Mr. Thesaurus or whoever came up with English forgot to include certain words in their lexicon.  Words that describe something so fantastic, so extremely excellent, so sublimely breathtaking that simply uttering them would bring tears to your eyes.  They forgot to create those, and as such, I can't continue with this post.  You'll have to see it for yourself here:

Men With Cramps.  (Watch the videos for a good chuckle.)

Tongue Depressing

I sincerely hope Renegade's IT department doesn't read this blog.  I'm not sure how comfortable I am admitting this, but I've gotten to first base with my computer.  Granted, I love my computer and have on occasion kept it near my bed as its white oscillating light dimmed and brightened in rhythm equal to gentle ocean waves crashing on a moonlit shore.  Its soothing fan let me know when things got too hot - too worked up if you will.  But this isn't about me and it isn't really about my computer.  This is about me sticking my tongue in a very naughty place. 

Before you cry foul and ask for proof-of-age requirements for this blog, let me explain.  Milwaukee's Best has designed a flash application that acts as a biometric taste analyzer.  By placing your tongue against the scanner (that would be your computer screen) it can determine the state of your taste buds.  I know what you're thinking.  It can't possibly work.  There's no conceivable way that a two-bit application can "scan" a tongue placed against a computer monitor. But it does.  Go to the site, click on "Do You Have A Man's Taste?" and DON'T put your tongue on the scanner.  It will attempt a scan and say there isn't enough information to scan because a tongue wasn't present.  Now, get your co-workers and friends out of the room, or hide in the janitor's closet for a few minutes.  Put your tongue on the scanner and let it rip. It'll recognize it. 

In truth, it's entirely random.  But, like the old "it's impossible to lick your elbow" routine, it'll get a bunch of people to become intimate with their computer screens. 

Disclaimer: We at Saw a Good Idea are not responsible for damages done to computer screens as a result of this post, nor for causing awkward glances from your co-workers.

Diesel Fumes Over Global Warming

Parrots replacing the pigeons in St. Mark's Square?  A tropical rainforest sprouting from the fields in Parc du Champs de Mars?  Could this be a wonderful version of future life, or a timely juxtaposition exposing the subtle horrors of global warming?

Diesel, while reducing the contents of my wallet, has also decided to reduce global warming. They've taken iconic locations from around the world, added some of the long-term effects of an increasingly hot Earth, and put some good looking folks in denim in the photos. This accomplishes three things:

1. It cleverly illustrates the need for global warming regulations.
2. It sells their clothes.
3. It looks cool.

While it may not have the Bono-tastic marketing push of (Red), it takes chutzpah to have your company's website feature such a message. and so prominently.  It's a worthy effort from a brand trying to do more than just sell clothes.

Did They Ever Find the Beef?

I have a serious aversion to television commercials. Those damn buckets of KFC Crispy Strips are keeping me from witnessing another self-important television special from Oprah.   How am I supposed to see how she created a learn-to-read center for disenfranchised ragweed allergy sufferers when I have to sit through three minutes of Pontiac Commercials?  I'm only human.

Luckily, my DVR (aka: the item in my apartment to which I've bequeathed all my possessions, including a limited edition autographed Debarge LP and my girlfriend) allows me to skip all those commercials.  You may start viewing Lost at 10, but I opt to head to the "worst island imaginable" at around 10:15 in order to skip over the commercials.  Yet sometimes shows slip through the cracks.  I gave Heros an early cancellation prediction and never watched it.  I've realized the error of my ways and have been slowing catching up on past episodes via NBC Rewind.  They make me sit through 3-4 commercials an episode, a good price to pay for television at my fingertips.

This could be the future of advertising for television ... give people any show they want at whatever time they want, and I'm sure they'll happily watch a few commercials for the convenience. 

Second Life Second Time Around

My return to Second Life was much like the 1985 Fairuza Balk vehicle Return to Oz - dark and scary, full of things I didn't understand, and overrun with choppy 3D polygons. (To continue this analogy, let's assume "choppy 3D polygons" are the "Wheelers.")  Last fall, everyone wanted a piece of the Second Life pie. Who wants sliced bread when you can render it and sell it through a virtual online community?  The user count was exploding and companies were rushing to get their product on the Second Life market.

Months later, I wonder what all the fuss was about. I played around with Second Life for a day or two, grew bored with it's poor user controls and rendering abilities, and ushered it to the back of my hard drive.  Maybe I was too old to enjoy what Second Life had to offer.  Maybe I liked spending my money on items like rent and Cadbury Cream Eggs.  Despite all of this, I recently took another plunge into the online world to see if my experience was better the second time around.

It wasn't.  All the faults from my original experience still existed. It seemed as if more cyber-sex islands had sprung up. And it appeared to have even more download lag than before.  Despite all of this, I wasn't ready to give up.

Toyota has been showcasing their Scion cars in Second Life and offering test drives.  I thought I'd give it a whirl and see what a Second Life test drive had to offer.  Aside from pushing my "up" arrow key while watching a blocky car make its way down a road, not a whole lot.  It sure didn't make me any more likely to buy the car.  I give Toyota credit for playing the "hip card" and putting their product up in the virtual world, but that's where I'd stop.

In order to save Second Life, I'd start with improving the graphics and controls.  Also, I'd make it easier for the user to understand what he/she is actually doing and where they're going.  Finally, I'd figure out what customers can get out of the experience instead of just looking at pictures and videos.  After all, the buzz factor on Second Life is fading quicker than those Pets.com commercials.

Know Your Presidio Heights Crime Scene

I've spent the last half hour trying to come up with something witty to say about the virtual crime scenes featured on the Zodiac movie's website.  The fact is, you can't make serial killing funny.  (Yes, I'm including the kitschy T-shirts featuring a box of Lucky Charms holding a gun.  That's not funny, that's lazy.)  David Fincher's (Se7en, Fight Club) new film recounts the grisly and unsolved murders that took place in San Francisco in the late 60's and early 70's. The site has great depth and texture and makes good use of 3D graphics. 

Get Your Greek On

Greeks are more than just feta cheese and Nia Vardalos movies.  When they aren't too busy philosophizing and building villages on dormant volcanoes, they also like to promote safe sex.  The sexually responsible and funny folks at Trojan have brought us a clever mix of B-movies and hysterical voice-overs in the form of Trojan Tales.            

Sing for the Masses

Walk into any number of bars in Manhattan on a Thursday night, and you're bound to hear an American Idol wannabe belting out their version of "Heartbreaker" accompanied by the digital musical stylings of a Karaoke machine.  While some are good, others are very, very bad.  It was only a matter of time before the Karaoke phenomenon made it's way to the internet. 

While you might benefit from heavy intoxication to get through your friend's off-key take on "Maxwell's Silver Hammer", you no longer need to go to the local watering hole to hear it.  Singshot has brought all of the ear-bleeding vocalizations to your computer.  The MySpace of the Karaoke world, Singshot let's you share every note of your self-centered anthem with your friends ... assuming you have any left.

Neanderthal's Penthouse

Suave and sophisticated with a penchant for Roast Duck with Mango Salsa.  Add to those traits a knack for cave drawings and inventing the wheel and you have Geico's famous "caveman."  Metrosexual meets Cro-Magnon, the character's juxtaposition is what makes each advertisement so memorable.

Geico has taken the caveman one step further and brought you into his house, which isn't a cave at all. You're free to wander through different rooms, clicking on gadgets, magazines and other interactive hot spots to learn more about the caveman, often accompanied by a comical response.  The site is very well designed, and it's so easy to use ...

Dancing on the Walls

To promote the release of their new operating system, Microsoft had people dancing on the walls ... literally.  Vista, which is scheduled to be released tomorrow, is Microsoft's newest version of Windows.  The GROUNDED Aerial Dance Theater danced on the side of a building on Manhattan's Westside to promote the new product.  This is just one of the many marketing and promotional campaigns surrounding the launch of the new system.  Included in the promotion is Show us Your Wow, which lets participants upload extraordinary photos or videos to the site with the chance to win prizes.

Pan's Sketchbook

Why did my parents make me study Latin in High School?  That's about as useful as bringing an umbrella to a desert.  We aren't even Catholic.  And yet, as my friends converse with various international tourists, dignitaries and rockstars fluently, I'm hoping to have a chance encounter with a member of the  First Triumvirate.  My lack of knowledge in practical non-dead languages keeps me from fully enjoying movies like Amelie and Pan's Labyrinth.  (I didn't study reading subtitles either)

Pan's Labyrinth, which had its wide-release last Friday, is a Spanish language film and is earning exceptional reviews.  Yet, the American public doesn't exactly flock to foreign films.  To increase attendance, a marketing blitz is currently underway for the film.  Aside from heavy television promotion, the movie's website is a fantastic marketing tool.  Notably, the "Sketchbook Contest."

Guillermo del Toro, the film's director, is notorious for keeping sketches and ideas for future movies in a sketchbook.  Aside from giving the visitor a peek into del Toro's personal sketchbook, the site allows fans to build their own digital sketchbooks. Five exceptional sketchbooks will be selected personally by del Toro, and their creators will receive Pan's Labyrinth prizes as well as garner a mention on the movie's DVD.

Blendtec Redux

After the announcement of the iPhone this week, I was struggling to find ways to dispose of my burdensome 60GB iPod (from 2005, no less!). I turned to the good people at Blendtec to help me out. As always, they did not let me down.

All You Need is Bruce Campbell

No words necessary. I highly recommend heading to this site for more information ... and learning.

BuzzMW

Sometimes, the best way to generate buzz about a product is to confuse people.  Show them some random images or movies and let them speculate.  The "BMW Product" has started spreading its way across the internet, leaving plenty of gadget geeks bewildered as to its purpose. 

Scheduled to be released later this month, the device has been rumored to be an Mp3 player, a GPS, and a Mr. Fusion*.  Still, the prospect of BMW possibly launching products outside of their luxury sports cars is intriguing.  Stay tuned on this one. 

*OK, I think it's a Mr. Fusion. 

PS Punk'd

In this age of user generated content, is it any wonder that corporations are trying to stake their claim on this ever-growing market?  While there have been some excellent examples of companies producing spots on YouTube which "lightly" feature their products, HP's FingerSkilz comes to mind, sometimes things go very, very badly as was the case with alliwantforxmasisapsp.com. (The site, thankfully, has since been taken down.  The Consumerist took all of the original files and uploaded the site here for your amusement.) 

Created by Sony to promote their Playstation Portable gaming device, the site was designed to look like it was created by a fan.  However, a rap on the site by "Cousin Pete" led folks in the gaming community to question the site's authenticity.  Adding insult to injury, the "creators" of the site, when asked about their connection to Sony, replied with this comment:

"We don't work for Sony. And for all you dissin' my skillz I'm down for a one on one rap off or settling it street stylez if you feel me playa."

Not only were they trying to pull a fast one over on the public, they assumed their audience had just lost a spelling contest to Ali G and had the cognitive reasoning abilities of an oyster.  If you're looking for a good idea, create content-heavy and fun sites, but don't deny where they come from.  Someone will always find out.

Christmas Comes Late

Internet rumors have ruined my Christmas.  Santa and I were all set.  I made my list early and asked him for a Treo as well as the new Little Mermaid DVD and a portable particle accelerator.  However, a few weeks ago, rumors started spreading that Apple was about to release their iPhone.  It was expected to do everything from work as an iPod to bend photons.  There was so much buzz about it, that it had to exist.  The thing had price points and schematics!  We had specs and knew which carriers were interested!

I quickly took the Treo off my list, expecting that Apple would out do anything on the market.  The iPhone was released today, not by Apple, but Cisco!  In fact, Apple never even owned the iPhone name and has nothing to do with the Cisco product.  The online bloggers did a lot of research on a rumor, but failed to look into if Apple even owned "iPhone".

This story amazes me, only because of the sheer power of buzz.  All it takes is some high-hopes and good photoshopping to let a good rumor spread.  Apple may eventually release a phone, albeit under a different name, but the energy behind this "fake" product was enough to have geeks everywhere drooling with anticipation. 

Now, about that particle accelerator...

Make a Cookie and Save the Children

Combining the sweetest parts of the holiday season (giving, candy and cookies), Carat Fusion has set us a site where you can design a gingerbread cookie and send it to a friend.  For every person who designs a cookie, Carat is donating $1 to Save the Children.  It's fun, funny, and good for the children. 

Holiday Hatred

I've always preferred the term "Little Person."  If you start throwing around the term "Elf," I'll stick my curled and pointed shoes in your bah humbug.  My ancestors didn't work their way up through the cold northern tundra to be simple pawns for Mr. Jolly.  We're at the north pole because we happen to be excellent with putting toys together, and yes, we also happen to be smaller than most house-hold toaster ovens.  But we don't have magical powers out of some sort of Tolkien novel, and I've never even touched an archery set.

It seems the people at OfficeMax haven't advanced into the socially appropriate 21st Century.  Their new online seasonal greeting, called "Go Elf Yourself" allows you to step into the striped stockings and virtually dance and jig your way to holiday merriment.  I suppose "Go Little Person Yourself" was too much to remember, wasn't it?  This is all part of OfficeMax's Holiday Games section.

I don't encourage you to visit the site.  Clicking on the link above is like stepping into the Seinfeld cast reunion night at the Laugh Factory.  If you want to support the hate, then click away.  After all, while elfing yourself may not be politically correct, it does help spread the cheer quicker than Richard Simmons in a tinsel factory.

Hello Fiji!

Sometimes you need to know where your girlfriend keeps the exfoliating loofahs.  When she's overseas and you're too cheap to use your cellphone for the international call, your body-scrub deprived skin may be out of luck.  But not anymore.

Future Phone allows you to place international calls for free or very close to free.  You have to place a call to a number in Iowa, which if you do during an "unlimited calling" period is free. 

There are no hidden fees, no gimmicks, no loss of privacy, and no limitations to the amount of calls you can make.  Future Phone's reason for creating this service, according to their official website, is "if we can gain your confidence in our company and services, we hope to introduce other products and services to you in the future."  That's it.   I made my first call this morning and was incredibly surprised when it went through.  It worked well and my newly "tropical waterfall" smelling skin appreciates it.

It's beginning to look a lot like Starbucks ...

Starbucks is going all out for the holiday season. If you have eyes, you've seen the holiday-themed red and white cups, decorations, and even seasonal flavors that this coffee megabrand offers during the winter months.  To extend the reach of their brand from food and POS, Starbucks also has a couple of guerilla marketing tactics to bombard city-dwellers with good caffeinated cheer.

The first?  An effort that spans Denver, Washington, and Portland that consists of this:
 
If you see this car, stop the driver and alert him/her to the misplaced cup, and receive a free cup of coffee!

The second effort involves something called a Cheer Pass, a pass-it-along, trackable good deed promotion. The coffee company hopes that these internet-trackable cards will not only promote the Starbucks name, but also inspire people to make this season a little merrier.

All Aboard the Dane Train

How do you become one of the biggest stand-up comics in the world?  Sure, talent has a lot to do with it, but my Uncle Bill was amazing at filling glasses with water at various heights and playing "Walking on Sunshine" on them with spoons.  Of course, the limit of his celebrity was reached during Talent Night at the American Legion. 

But Dane Cook has launched himself into the stratosphere using the web.  Other stand-up comics balked when he started a website to promote himself. They questioned his use of MySpace to keep in touch with his fans and promote his touring schedule.  (As of this post, Dane has 1,609,047 "friends" on his account.)  He's played his cards very well, and the gambles he's taken on marketing himself have paid off.

The Creative Mind

Adobe's "Creative Mind" website is a fun and whimsical way of illustrating...well...the creative mind and Adobe (R) Creative Suite 2.3.  As they call it, "The universe in your head. Full of trap doors,ripcords and rabbit holes. Abstract biology.  Potential energy."  The website features 3 worlds :intuition (natural world), curiosity (fire/liquid world) and productivity (machine-like world).

Virtual Dearth

In the category of completely unshocking events, Microsoft has followed a competitor's lead and released an incredibly similar product.  This time, it's Google Earth that's come under fire from the boys in Redmond.  Microsoft released their Virtual Earth 3D software for Internet Explorer, claiming that it makes Google's software look like something your 8 year-old brother made with popsicle sticks and glue.  If only this were true.

Virtual Earth is pretty, and if your computer meets the requirements to run it, you might be able to see what the buildings in downtown San Francisco look like.  And they're a lot prettier than the gray blocks used on Google Earth.  But Virtual Earth is slow, clunky, and not user friendly.  (You're required to download a 5mb browser plug-in so it'll run in Explorer.)

Virtual Earth isn't all bad.  It has a ton of promise, especially in the marketing and advertising sectors.  Unless Microsoft follows the state of Vermont in abolishing all billboards, you can expect to see some clickable versions of roadside advertising to pop-up in Virtual Earth.  Companies like Fox and Nissan have already started putting up advertisements in select "virtual" cities across the country.  Microsoft hopes to have more than 100 cities covered by next summer.

Going Wii

Nintendo is in a tough position.  Once the king of the video game world, they now find themselves at the back of the pack.  Their market share is less than their competitors, who happen to be the two uber giants of Sony and Microsoft.  And while everyone is getting bigger and faster (and more expensive) Nintendo thought outside the box.  They've always been the Apple Computer of the video game world, continually at the forefront of innovation.  With the release of their next generation console, they've taken a huge step. 

The Wii is unlike anything you've played with before.  Instead of having the best graphics, most peripherals, and fastest game-play, Nintendo concentrated on redefining the gaming industry and I'm intrigued.  The first thing you notice on their website is not the games, but the console's control or "wii-mote."  It's motion sensitive, meaning that you swing it like a tennis racket, aim it like a bow and arrow, or fight through dungeons using it as a sword.

Nintendo's advertising is centered around the non-static device and rightly so.  Sony and Microsoft's advertising comes down to who has the bigger guns and touting things we've seen before, albeit only a bit fancier and with a (much) bigger price tag.  But Nintendo is quietly pushing the envelope, turning heads and figuring that what we as consumers really want is something new.

Talk about thinking different. 

Fuel For Travel

The Dutch have done it again - they're always on top of the game when it comes to applying new technology and conceptual design, and making those things accessible to the general public. Fuel for Travel, a new file download point, has popped up in Amsterdam Schiphol airport. It's a joint venture between the airport itself, Samsung, and Talpa Digital B.V., where travelers can browse music, TV shows, movies, and - maybe the best part - international travel guides, and then download them to their Samsung device (mobile phone, pda, mp3 player). It also works with Blackberry. What's annoying is that it's not compatible with iPod or any other brand of mobile phone (I guess that's logical considering it's a Samsung project). But hopefully this will prompt similar, less brand-specific pop-ups in airports the world over.

10061.com-- Another User Generated Content Site

Timberland has release a new user gerenated content site.  It's actually pretty cool.  I love the transitions between sections, and the wholes site is very urban cool but not cliche.  I'm still confused about the name of the site...but this could be because I don't wear their shoes.  Is this a reference to a shoe?

The User Gallery allows you to upload your own artwork and gives you the chance to rate other people's submissions and become the next borough artist.  It also features videos and customed designed shoes by local New York artists.

A Pizza Grows in Brooklyn

The culture of Brooklyn is on display in Domino's new marketing campaign for their "Brooklyn Style Pizza."  An on the box game gives wannabe Brooklynites a chance to win an authentic checkered cab and other prizes.  The website itself has characters explaining how to eat a Brooklyn style pizza ("you gotta fold it!") and conveying other colloquialisms that come from the other side of the bridge.  You can even submit a video spot of your best Brooklyn accent to be put up on YouTube. 

I've tried and failed to find a suitable place in this post to use the term "Fugheddaboudit!"  My apologies.