SAW a good idea

Twitter the New News? - #earthquake a Godsend for Me

 
At around 10:30 last night, I saw a tweet on Facebook about an earthquake in Italy.  It was the first news to come out of the area, and I was straight away reading the #earthquake tweets for updates, as twitter was the first to have any coverage at all.  By 11:00 I was in contact with my friend in Tortorento, 50 km from the epicenter.  He was okay, although he was quite scared.  I am so happy that I found out so quickly and was able to assuage my fears for my friend, but now my thoughts are with the victims struggling to recover their friends and family members.

There's been a lot of talk about Twitter as a news service.  While it can't be so formal as NYT or CNN, it definitely beats them out for timely broadcasting.  Last night's info blast from Italy was no exception.

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.

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.

 

Spam gets 1 response per 12,500,000 emails

Even with a response rate of  0.00001 percent, large-scale spammers still bring in millions in profit.  According to an article today from techradar.com one of the largest spam networks, Storm, has enough email power to generate $7,000 a day - roughly $3.2 million a year. Truly amazing (and slightly depressing) statistics.

Get Your Kicks

Sneaker heads are an ever growing, demanding and apparently 'visionary' market. With every kid looking like they walked out of a Tokyo boutique, it's tough for a shoemaker to cut through nowadays. Here are two that did it well:

Adidas' "The Left-Right Project" cut through to graf artists, sneaker heads, people hanging around LA, and even stiffs like me.

Over in England, Asics' line of Onituska Tiger sneakers will be sold in a "trainer vending machine" on Carnaby Street through today. So hurry and hop a flight to London.

As for me, I'm all about taking the horrid all-over print of last year to my feets.

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.]

When Bad Ads Happen to Good People

You know that feeling when you're girlfriend is having a night out with friends, your best option on your DVR is a re-run of The Hogan Family, and that Thomas Pynchon novel is acting more like a doorstop than a book?  You're all alone in your apartment and that Failure to Launch DVD is just staring you in the face waiting to be viewed?  You put on some chamomile, light some candles, and prepare to dive into non-stop Matthew McConaughey/Sarah Jessica Parker hilarity.  Suddenly, you're confronted by a five-minute commercial slapping you in the face repeatedly and calling you a pirate.

"But I bought this DVD at Best Buy!" you say, while attempting to dry your never-ending tears.  The MPAA has taken a cue from the Patriot Act and assumed that everyone's a suspect.  Many DVDs, bought through entirely legal channels, have a stern warning at their start explaining the lengthy prison sentence you'll most likely endure as soon as your pinky hits that download button.  What this does is reduce the value of the item you've already paid for and becomes nothing more than an expensive lesson in preaching to the choir.

At left, you'll notice an image created by Broken-TV that illustrates, quite accurately, the frustration that most legal consumers experience when treated like malefactors.  (Sorry for the curse words).

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.

A Disservice to Customer Service

If only I had the ability to play the guitar and sing songs of protest like Dylan.  I'd sing The Times They Are A-Changin' but in reference to customer service at the big-business level.  It's safe to say that issues you have with a product or service would be handled much more expediently and friendly with a small business or shop than with an international company.  And with whole divisions set aside to handle such cases at that level, you'd assume that they'd get the formula right.  This, however, is not generally the case.

But as I said before, things are beginning to change.  The bloggers of the world have united, and companies can't get away with poor customer service anymore.  No longer can service department callers be treated as mere numbers.  Operators never know who might be on the line and those callers might end up writing about their poor experience in their blogs.  Those blogs in turn could be read by thousands of people, who then spread the message like a virus throughout the internet.  (The Vincent Ferrari vs. AOL is a great example.  It was also featured in a New York Times article.)

Our very own Renegade, Jason English, has had a personal battle with Sprint.  (For more on his fight, click here and here.)  The culmination in his fight was a personal e-mail from Sprint CEO Gary Forsee.

You don't need a law degree.  You don't need a high-powered attorney.  You need to stand up for what you believe in and let your voice be heard.  For more information on this subject, I recommend the Consumerist.

Mooninites Ate My Baby

Someone once told me, "During a gold rush, sell shovels."  In other words, sell a product that relates to the hype of another product.  (All those iPod accessories and peripherals come to mind.)  When that hype comes at the expense of the City of Boston, a few marketing execs at Turner, a fellow marketing company, and two guys with hair issues, it may be met with jeers and negativity.  And yet, the spirit of East Coast sarcasm carries on.

T-Shirts featuring a Mooninite, the same image on the lightboxes that caused a terror scare in Boston, and featuring the phrase "1-31-07 Never Forget" have already started popping up for sale around the internet.  Tasteless?  Probably.  Kitschy-funny?  Sort of.  Would I buy one if I hadn't just blown all of my money on the sheet music for the Theme from Baywatch?  Most definitely.

America wouldn't be America if we couldn't laugh at how serious we take ourselves sometimes.  If I were the creator of the shirts, I'd start selling them as fast as possible.  In a few weeks, no one will understand the reference.

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...

The 'Air Down There

How do you market the unmentionable?  Sometimes, a brand markets itself.  Nancy Jarecki, the creator of BettyBeauty, is finding her products can generate enough buzz on their own.  With mentions in magazines such as W and Vogue, Ms. Jarecki's "beauty products" have a lot of people talking ... whether or not anyone is admitting to using them is another story.

Do (Good)

What if you could make the world a better place by purchasing an item?  The folks at (Product) Red have figured out the balance between giving and receiving.  With iconic companies like Motorola, Apple, Gap, and Converse on board with the organization's branding, the (Product) Red message is spreading worldwide.  Aimed to bring awareness to the Global Fund as well as support women and children in Africa living with HIV/AIDS, (Product) Red has found a great way of making the world a little bit better.

Google Pays Videographers

After acquiring YouTube a few weeks ago, Google is taking some large strides in the video market.  When they're not busy being a gigantic all-powerful robot, they're going to start giving videographers who post on Google Video a cut of the ad-revenue they generate.

The first artists to get their checks are Fritz Grobe and Stephen Voltz, for their video documenting the fantastic multi-media exploration of Diet Coke and Mentos.

Will this move help Google Video attract better content authors?  Will people eventually associate the Google Video brand with better videos?

Source: CNet News
Official Google Blog

"It's Ok to be Ghetto!" FedEx Furniture

Think FedEx boxes are just for mailing stuff? Not anymore! This guy Jose Avila has an apartment full of homemade FedEx furniture. Short on cash, Jose ordered a bunch of FedEx boxes for free and built a desk, a bed, a couch, a dining table, and chairs. He even used FedEx packaging supplies to hold the boxes together.

Not only has Jose’s furniture made it onto Wikipedia, but it’s also been featured in TV, newspaper, and Internet news. Unfortunately, FedEx wasn’t as thrilled as Jose was about his cool boxy furnishings, but I give him an A+ for resourcefulness. Regarding Drew’s comment on how Chevy should have engaged in a dialogue with their detractors, I think FedEx could have turned this into an awesome PR stunt. I had no idea FedEx boxes were this durable ;)

Duck Tape's "Stuck at Prom" Contest

Duck brand duct tape has added a new spin on prom attire since they began hosting their “Stuck at Prom” college scholarship contest in 2001.  High school participants must craft two prom outfits per couple, using Duck Tape’s dazzling 19 colors.  The 2005 entries are posted on their website, including the winning designs, which received anywhere from $200 to $6000 worth of scholarship money.  As you may imagine, competition is pretty stiff, as last year’s winning design was modeled after a Picasso painting.  You can check out the 2006 entries now on their website and vote for the 2006 winners from Friday, June 16 to Sunday, June 25. 

Want to make your own fabulous Duck Tape accessories?  Check out the Duck-tivities page for step-by-step instructions on everything from flower pens to flip-flops.   

Rice to Riches

New Yorkers may be familiar with the kooky façade of Rice to Riches, a rice pudding shop styled after the Italian gelateria, but as a new-comer to the city, I was enchanted by its fun spirit and approach to marketing and style. The shop stands out against the backdrop of Mullberry Street, right on the edge of Little Italy.

The unconventional store lured me in with a humorous sign in the window that read, “These premises are occupied by compulsively obsessed dessert loving people with no self-control or discipline.” Sounds like my kind of place.

And it was. Besides good rice pudding, the store offers really creative design, marketing, and packaging (the spoons are so cool!!). These small details turned a basic concept into something exciting. It’s definitely worth a visit, if you haven’t been yet.

But if you can't make it out there, the website www.ricetoriches.com offers a small taste (haha) of the experience.

On-product magazines

Joanna Wojtalik was taking a marketing course just two years ago, when she had an idea – create a small (in the first instance this will be an A7 - 74 x 105 mm) magazine which fits onto a fast moving consumer product and distribute via grocery rather than traditional magazine channels. Joanna’s idea is now patented and will launch in January as the first on-product magazine - a bottled water aimed at the female market with iLove magazine attached and will be joined in Q2 by a magazine for children and a magazine aimed at men on Iced Coffee. A very cool idea, which is definitely changing the media landscape.

Future of Marketing on Flickr

The IF! team have been running a Flickr group asking ad and marketing professionals to submit images that reflect their view on the future of marketing. Today, a total of 77 images have been posted - posted by the likes of the guys over at American Copywriter, Anomaly, IBS Crumpler and Modernista. All done to support the Future Marketing Summit conference next week in NYC (where our Oxyride campaign has been nominated for an award!)

Check 'em out (although, if you're not logged in Flickr only shows you 33 images which is weird) Future Of Marketing On Flickr

IVR Cheat Sheet by Paul English

Another example of compiled knowledge benefiting the online masses. Paul English has put together a  helpful list of secret numbers and tips to bypass IVRs to get to a human. Need help when calling Social Security? Simply press "00" to confuse the computer and send you to an agent

Link here

Brand Democratization: SB Wear

Here's another example of brand democratization. A new label called SB-Wear produces and designs apparel inspired by a Nike limited edition release, and color coordinated so that your sneakers match your clothes! And like the shoes, the clothes are limited edition as well.

Check the site here

Temporary Wired Store in NYC

WIRED, is opening a temporary store in New York’s trendy neighborhood of SoHo. Other than gadgets featured in the magazine, the store will also host live events and giveaways. The store will only exist from November 18 to December 24, so be sure to drop by if you’re in the New York area.

WIRED – The Store SoHo

Where:
120 Wooster Street (and Houston Street), New York

Date:
November 18 to December 24 (close Mondays & Tuesdays)

Vizoo X Lexus

Glad to see our friends at Vizoo have been keeping busy since working with us for Inside TV:

During September ´05, Lexus launched a new car at Times Square in New York -using the Free Format™ system. Spectators were invited to navigate the “hologram” by means of an interactive facility – car could change colour, spin and one could see it drive. Hand outs of small cards with 3D car, completed the event.

Taking place in and around a rented shop location at Times Square no 7, it really attracted massive crowds - so at one point the NYC police had to clear the street.

Free Format™ will also feature the Lexus car at locations in Los Angeles and Miami. Watch the video here.

We are the superlative Conspiracy

As WESC begins its advance on NYC, take a look at WESC photographer Jens Andersson's porfolio. The "Twins" series is pretty genius.

The Most Popular Searches in Skateboarding

Here are the top 100 online searches for things related to skateboarding during the past month, along with the number of searches. These are figures for Yahoo and MSN and don't include results for Google

Ace Hotel

The brilliance posts a new interview w/ Alex Calderwood of the Ace Hotel. With a brand designed for cultural creatives, the hotel's finest and best selling room is the Kaws room! 

Images in the Sky

"200 images from the internet were released into the sky via red, green and blue helium filled balloons on the 2nd of October 2005 in Victoria Park , London. For all we know, they could all just fall into the Channel. But we hope that if someone finds an image they will get back to us and let us know where they are, and participate by sending us an image or message of their own."

Brian McCarty

Bringing vinyl toys to life, Brian McCarty carves a niche for his photography.

Hipper than Thou

(from Business 2.0)

Zondervan, the world's leading Bible seller, has created a new line of Bibles that can be described as "youth-oriented lifestyle accessories." Zondervan's VP said, "It's a Baskin-Robbins world. Young people have so many choices, we need to keep things fresh to keep them interested." Below are a few examples of their new line of Bibles they have created to connect more with today's youth:

1. True Identity targets women by using "gender corrected" text (for example, "sons" is used instead of "children") and by binding the Bible in faux alligator.
2. Sports Devotional Bible includes comments made by professional athletes that involve Scripture and religion in general. The covers of these Bibles look and feel like footballs and basketballs.
3. Word on the Street includes "tabloid-style headlines, epistles written as e-mails and psalms structured as rock lyrics." This product has been advertised on MTV.com, the Onion and Rolling Stone.

TV makers try for an emotional connection

Ever thought wacthing the US Open on a golf ball shaped TV would enhance your experience? Think a TV that is the shape and texture of a pineapple would improve your living room? Now you can get the pefect TV! Starting this month, Hannspree will offer custom-shaped televisions to Americans through their website and two US retailers. There are three main categories: Sports (the NFL, NBA and MLB partnered with Hannspree for this section), Fantasy (animals and such with Disney's help) and Style (fashion and home-life concepts). Take a look at the Collection!

New York's first solar powered restaurant/artist community

Habana Outpost tries to improve the economic state of the surrounding community by using solar energy to power the restaurant as well as the neighborhood, exhibiting the works of local artists and holding concerts for local musicians. Every weekend it also holds a flea market and a free outdoor movie screening. In addition Havana Outpost boasts well-priced and highly regarded burgers, sandwiches and salads.

Check out its calendar of events!

iGuy, the Latest iPod Accessory

Speck Products has introduced a new iPod accessory - the bendable, posable case called the iGuy - that looks like a toy, yet is highly functional.  The iGuy features rubberized protection, docking capability (when sitting) and a scratch-resistant screen for the iPod and iPod photo.  Check out this link for more info, and for cool pics of the iGuy in different poses (I like the one with its arm wrapped around the iPod Mini). 

Clients want smaller, more innovative boutiques

Check out this article from the business section of Monday’s Times. The focus is on how clients are demanding more creative, and innovative ideas from the large ad agencies

This creates a greater demand for smaller, more innovative marketing boutiques.   

Microsoft Desktop Search

I'm trying out the new Microsoft Desktop Search Engine that lets index your your files and e-mails. Let you know how it goes!

Download your own here

Word of Mouth

From NOP World:

Recent research from NOP World has revealed that face-to-face recommendation remains the strongest medium for spreading word-of-mouth recommendation, with telephone recommendations running a close second.

According to Jon Berry, Vice President for NOP World: "Despite widespread technology adoption, marketers must understand that the majority of word-of-mouth is still done at the coffee house, in the mall, over brunch or at the gym. Although technology and the Internet play a significant role in spreading word-of-mouth, live discussions are still driving the trend."

More info at NOP World
-Posted by Drew

Clear Screens

No, it's not a technological breakthrough but a fun trend that shows:

1) laptops as extensions of people's personalities
2) people using various technologies in creative ways

See it here

Absolut Underground

This ad appeared in 2002, yet it's clever play on pop-culture is deserving of ad of the week. Great ads are the ones people rip out of magazines and hang on their wall.

Idea of the week

Michael's Idea of the Week [from Picasa]:

Picasa is a free software download from google.

Picasa is software that helps you instantly find, edit and share all the pictures on your PC. Every time you open Picasa, it automatically locates all your pictures (even ones you forgot you had) and sorts them into visual albums organized by date with folder names you will recognize.

Picasa also makes advanced editing simple by putting one-click fixes and powerful effects at your fingertips.

Google Gulp - quench your thirst for knowledge.

Google introduces a line of  of "smart drinks" designed to maximize your surfing efficiency by making you more intelligent, and less thirsty: Google Gulp (BETA)™ with Auto-Drink™ (LIMITED RELEASE). To try out this "limited release" product,   you need to find someone who's already been "gulped," ask them for a "Gulp Cap", and turn it in at your local grocery store. Great idea for viral marketing amongst the wannabe Google nerdies, and a simple, entertaining site -- don't miss out on the brilliant FAQs...

A Different Kind of Desktop Searching

There are also some other kinds of desktop search programs out there that actually make some connections for you. I haven't tried any, but read about them in this Times article by Steven Johnson. He specifically talks about one program called DEVONthink and how he used it to help him write his last book:

Consider how I used the tool in writing my last book, which revolved around the latest developments in brain science. I would write a paragraph that addressed the human brain's remarkable facility for interpreting facial expressions. I'd then plug that paragraph into the software, and ask it to find other, similar passages in my archive. Instantly, a list of quotes would be returned: some on the neural architecture that triggers facial expressions, others on the evolutionary history of the smile, still others that dealt with the expressiveness of our near relatives, the chimpanzees. Invariably, one or two of these would trigger a new association in my head -- I'd forgotten about the chimpanzee connection -- and I'd select that quote, and ask the software to find a new batch of documents similar to it. Before long a larger idea had taken shape in my head, built out of the trail of associations the machine had assembled for me.

Sounds cool to me.

Rise, Fall, Reinvention

"Since being incarcerated, her stock has tripled; worth more now then before she was convicted. Martha will be under house arrest for five months after her release on March 6th and in that time, many new opportunities will be at her fingertips. One such new opportunity is a spin-off of Donald Trump's: The Apprentice.

NBC has also picked up where Viacom dropped Martha. NBC will revive Martha Stewart Living (though not the title of the new show) as an hour-long homemaking show, complete with a live audience and celebrity guests."

-Posted by Natosha

Could going to jail be the best thing to happen to the Martha Stewart brand?

Flickr

If you have a digital camera, you’ve either already heard of it, or you will sooner than later. Flickr is an online photo-sharing site that marries each user’s content with their own online community that they share their photos with. You can find, add and invite friends and family from all over the globe. There is a free version limited to 10 MB uploads a month and 100 photos total to be displayed. The paid version (Pro Accounts) permits 1GB of uploads a month, and unlimited storage, as well as unlimited photosets.

The Kickr:
Created by Ludicorp, Flickr is less than a year old, and still in beta form, however the number of paid Pro Account holders continues to grow. There are over 250,000 Flickr account holders to date.

Its functionality includes RSS and XML feeds, and an API that allows independent programmers to expand its services. The core functionality of the site relies on standard HTML and HTTP features, allowing for wide usability among platforms and browsers.

The Flickr team has a separate blog, used to post any new feature developments, upgrading and troubleshooting being done to the site, keeping all Flickr members in the loop with everything that’s happening.

Flickr’s Key features:

- Flickr Uploadr: Once downloaded, it’s as easy as dragging and dropping, and the pictures are on your page instantly

- Tagging system for easy searching – tagging is all the rage!

- To-the-second-editing, for titles, captions, tags

- Comments + notes

- Public vs. private settings

- Photo licensing

- The Organizr: A flash component used to create dated sets/albums/batches

- Automatic blog posting

- Favorites tagging

- Groups

- Networking: Flickr Mail + Flickr Chat

Flickr definitely breaks new ground with the use of RSS technology, and combing a huge number of features (and probably more to come) on one blog-friendly-photo-sharing site with social-networking capabilities.

It is growing at least 5% a week and currently hosts more than 3.5 million images. And that fact that it’s still in beta form doesn’t stop happy users from paying the $40/ year price to have a Pro account with unlimited storage.

why laugh at yourself when you laugh at someone else?

Another offering in embarrass yourself (or in this case, your friends) for someone else's amusement and/or profit, shamings.com is billed as "The Olympics of Drunken Embarrassment".  Users submit photos of mostly passed out friends in compromising positions.  Submissions are then rated.

The site is part of the Connected Ventures Network (collegehumor.com, busteedtees.com, etc.), and, given the apparent demographic, it does include the requisite "make sure your friend is not suffering from alcohol poisoning" paragraph...(very nice of them to put that above the fold :)

NYC bloggers

“The idea is simple: A map of the city that shows where the bloggers are, organized by subway stop. Find out who's blogging in your neighborhood!"

NYC Bloggers

Another Renegade idea

Submitted by Dina

The 'Verb' marketing campaign was designed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to decrease the rapidly increasing obesity rates among children around the nation. It was designed to get kids excited and motivated to go out and get moving.

Link here

Piczo

Drew sent me this link:

Piczo, a free webservice that allows teens to quickly create personal sites using a formattable template with photo editing features. It's as easy as posting stuff online. Apparently, kids are signing up and the site is multiplying like rabbits.

Although design may not be their forte, some of the photos and content on these piczo sites are priceless!

Favorites:
Apryl: Girl Skateboarder
Charles Rules
Sarah Hawty is a Hottie

Playing the Insurance Game

It appears that Destiny Health is making health insurance a game [via Inc.com]:

Destiny Health, an insurer that offers consumer-driven health plans for small businesses, is now offering something called the Vitality program, which awards points to participants who take care of themselves. For instance, enrolling in a smoking cessation program is worth 3,000 points, which can then be redeemed for material rewards like consumer electronics, movie tickets, magazine subscriptions, and vacation packages. Points can also be converted into frequent-flier miles on three airlines. Companies whose employees each earn more than 45,000 points a year qualify for discounted insurance.

10X10

Rob posted this site:

"Every hour, 10x10 collects the 100 words and pictures that matter most on a global scale, and presents them as a single image, taken to encapsulate that moment in time. Over the course of days, months, and years, 10x10 leaves a trail of these hourly statements which, stitched together side by side, form a continuous patchwork tapestry of human life. "

Conceptually and graphically brilliant. Try it out here

MUJI keeps it simple

MUJI, has a strong retail presence in Japan, the UK, and France. You will not find much obvious branding on any item that MUJI carries. But you will find everything from housewares, clothing, stationery, organizers, and even cardboard sound speakers (I have these!). The packaging is as simplistic as possible, with the use of new and reusable materials, with style, flexibility, and practicality as the guiding standard. No more paying for extra design or expensive packaging. MUJI keeps it simple.

Now you can get more MUJI at the MoMA Store, and at their online store - just in time for the holidays.

Hidden Persuaders

This is one of the best articles we've read on the growing trend of brand ambassadors. First thing first, is this new? No, it builds upon good old-fashioned marketing tactics like sampling and direct sales force (remember a company called Avon?). But it's now lead by consumer volunteers instead of a workforce and it's dancing the line of ethical marketing which always brings the press.

-Posted by Tad
Link to Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/05/magazine/05BUZZ.html?ex=1103340302&ei=1&en=f571feeb81599faa

Note: You'll need a NY times account to read it