Ideas, Imagination & Stuff

As I ease my back into the marketing world after a few months of moving back to the US from Australia and catching up with friends and family I've been having fun playing with some cool new social media tools.  In today's spotlight - the picture-perfect world of Pinterest.  The site has been around for just over a year, quietly using an "invitation only" strategy to build up buzz.  A year ago the site had 50,000+ visitors, now the site just crossed over the 7 million user mark - it definitely is time to take a closer look.

If you haven't heard about it, Pinterest at its core is a virtual inspiration board where people use images instead of words to entertain and inspire others.  As you are roaming around the world wide web when something catches your eye now you simply "pin it" (through a cool button you add to any browser here) and the image is saved on a Pinterest board you've created.  Before you may have bookmarked it or printed it out - now it is all saved online.  Of course on the site you can also browse other people's boards or check out the live feed and "repin" things to your boards too.  It's like creating a visual smorgasboard of inspiration - something I used to do when I would tear out images from magazines and create a big collage wall in my office.  

There are some specific categories and companies that are going to find it very natural to pop on over to Pinterest.  Anyone with a visual element to their work - fashion brands, architechts, stylists, designers, photographers - can easily join in on the fun.  An architect working wtih a client by pinning visuals of other looks to discuss; a stylist sharing potential "looks" for clients to review before they go out shopping; a wedding planner sharing table decor ideas and thems to a bride - it all makes easy sense.  Already brands like Nordstrons, Real Simple magazine and LuxeFinds are already having fun on Pinterest, with more to come.

From a fun and overall marketing perspective, Pinterest could definitely help drive creative thinking and overall inspiration in a number of ways.  Here's just a few to get you started:

"Pin" your brand name.  Remember a few years ago when you'd head over to Wordle and create a fun word cloud about your brand or a competitor, now you can do the same but through images that people connect to your brand.  Just searching for "nike" delivers an amazing assortment of official brand imagery as well as average consumer imagery - bringing to life the emotional connection the brand has with consumers through visuals and comments.  

Visualize your team/company vibe.  Create a new board and ask people on your team or company to add images that best illustrate your company's current positioning or the one you want to have in the future.  Use the images to debate the essence of each visual and to see if everyone is heading in the right direction.

Tease clients about an upcoming idea you are presenting.  Imagine creating a mood board of visuals that your team has used to develop an idea for a client - get them excited by providing a visual sneak peek of what you've used for inspiration.

Bring your focus group into the social media world.  Have a new product in the works and want some feedback on design, packaging, colors, etc.?  Invite people on Pinterest to share their initial thoughts and perhaps even save you from making a terrible mistake?  Or get people so excited that they can't wait for your product to come.

iButterfly" is an interesting iPhone application using AR, motion sensor, and GPS functions to "collect" coupons. The creative aspect of it allows users to customise their butterflies by snapping images of their environment. A practical/functional use for it is - through the iButterfly - delivering coupons, diverse information and contents which can be shared amongst friends.

Qwiki Changed My World Today

So we know a new website launches every second (at least it seems like it), so when I heard of yet another one that a friend said I had to check out I had my hesitations. Luckily I did check it out as Qwiki has opened my eyes to a whole new way to search – through storytelling.  Pop in a topic and watch Qwiki create a multi-media smorgasbord of content that turns into a mini educational video and away your brain goes.  

I'm not getting paid for this informercial blog post – and don't want it to turn into that – so, in short, jump over to Qwiki and get ready for the fun.  

Insurance For Dog Poop On Your Sneakers

Yes, it's true, and it can be yours thanks to our friends at Sneaker Freaker – the global magazine that highlights the craziness of sneakers around the world.  The magazine comes out only three times a year and is usually snapped up within a few hours in the lucky stores in 43 countries that receive it.  In between publication dates the magazine is always looking for fun ways to keep the kids entertained.

With this in mind – enter the world of poop-on-the-shoe insurance.  The magazine has created a hilarious Home Shopping Network style informercial – at least one that would be found in Japan.  The two actors walk through the drama we've all had when we step on dog poop (you know you've done it at least once).  Then, the insurance fun – buy it when you buy your sneakers and for a year you're insured against poop mishaps.  When it happens all you have to do is take a photo of the poop problem, ensuring it covers more than 5cm of your sole, vacuum seal the shoe and send it in with the photo and a copy of your insurance.  Perfect poop protection!

Before Sneaker Freaker actually rolls out the insurance they want to make sure there's a demand for it.  They've set the goal of getting 100,000 people to raise their soles for poop protection, so if you're tired of your footsteps being poopsteps, than head on over to the site and vote.

Now, as always, how can we make it better?  I'm hoping that Sneaker Freaker team sent out some sneakers with maybe chocolate on the sole (close enough) to some key influencers to help get the word out.  How about a way for people to send in actual photos of poopy sneaks to be entered to win a limited edition of some new kicks?  There's got to be a songwriter out there ready to turn stepping into poop into a hit country music song.  And last but not least, wouldn't scratch and sniff stickers really bring the whole campaign to life?  Maybe that last one is a stinky idea but I had to go there.

In any case, well done Sneaker Freaker!  Poop is the word!  

Throughout 2011, Kahlúa is hoping to inspire friends and family to connect and converse at home with their “Delicioso

Nights In” effort. The initiative invites consumers to spend one night a month in 2011 reconnecting at home with friends or family. Consumers can log on to the Kahlua Facebook page to join in on the fun.  

Those who join are automatically entered into a sweepstakes for a chance to win a “Delicioso Night In” for themselves and three friends in New York City and three nights in Mexico. This trip includes a one-night stay at a luxury hotel in NYC and a personalized experience with celebrity chef and TV personality Aarón Sánchez. Then they’ll be whisked away to Veracruz, Mexico, the birthplace of Kahlúa, for four days of adventure.

According to a Kahlúa survey, enjoying intimate conversation at home is gaining more and more fans. 46% of Americans say great conversation would make them most happy when spending a night in with friends, family or a significant other—far more than food (19%) or music (5%).

Quora For Creative Inspiration - 50 Start-Ups Looking For Funding

I'm a newbie at Quora - so I'm a Quobie I guess.  Not sure if there is an official name but I'm definitely quickly understanding the instant fascination (and major time suck but I love it) that happens when you take a few minutes to browse around.  As I'm always on the look-out for inspiration from new places, I have to say I've found a plethora at Quora that has my heading spinning with creative delight.  

Take, for example, the list below of start-ups that have made their case on Quora in hopes of finding a big investment check in their pockets.  I can spend an hour thinking about and dissecting each one, leading to no doubt a totally new way to approach a challenge I'm working through for clients today, or perhaps an idea is tucked away in my brain and pops out a few months from now - all thanks to this list I found on Quora.  

Imagine the fun if/when QuikPiq arrives if you work for a fashion brand and you hire hot models with lots of friends on Facebook to try on some clothes and get people to vote - instant buzz-driving for new and old designers.  Or use it to take a photo of some packaging or POS to your Brand Fan page to see what people say in an instant.  How about using it at the beauty bar to have people vote for the right side of your face via Mabelline or your left side with L'Oreal?  Can't wait!

And how about Lifegroove, can't wait to use it to document the creation of a campaign to share and teach new team members as they join - an instant recap of every insight and inspiration, every client comment and up and down, all in one place.  It will be incredible learning that will help create even brighter professionals in the future.

And MondoWindow - imagine tourism boards all placing unique stories at this site for people to discover as they fly 33,000 feet in the sky.  Or sports arenas that let you know who's playing in the venue in the next few weeks - even letting you buy a ticket right then and there.  

And that is so just the beginning.  There's too many things to think about it one post.  Take some time to browse through some of the sites below and see where the creative thought takes you.  YAY for Quora!  

Another LA icon named Jack (not Jack Nicholson who always seems to be at every Lakers game) was sitting courtside at the Lakers-Clippers game on Friday night.  This one has a massive clown head, his own antenna ball and delivered tacos to 19,000 fans.  Any guess?

Jack in the Box’s celeb CEO, Jack Box and his son, Jack Jr., rubbed shoulders with Hollywood elite for the Los Angeles Lakers' win over the Los Angeles Clippers, while taking photos and signing autographs.  As a surprise for fans of both teams, he even treated everyone in attendance to free tacos. 

Now, how can we make it better?  Would love to see Jack serving up a slam dunk before the game, providing an awesome video with the potential to go viral.  How about getting the seats next to Jack Nicholson to get the other Jack in on the act - that could have been a paparazzi dream.  Maybe for Jack's next visit the JitB team can reach out to Lou Adler who sits beside Jack and see if he'd be up for the fun.  And surprised to not see the photos hit the Jack in the Box Facebook Page so they could make the rounds.  I'm sure all of the above could be in the works in the future, but fun to think about. 

Well done Jack - a great example of how one brand is leveraging its' sport sponsorship to entertain consumers in a new and unexpected way.  

The Best 'Driving' Job in The World – BMW Blogger Search

We’ve seen a lot of brands over the past year try to ‘one-up’ the instant classic of the “Best Job In The World” that searched for an island caregiver to live for a year in Queensland, Australia.  Today one caught my eye that I think is a worthy comparison – enter the search for an Ultimate BMW blogger by BMW dealership Endras in Toronto.

Here’s what’s up for grabs: $65,000 salary, attend BMW events around the world, live in a downtown Toronto condo for free, and of course drive around town in the latest and greatest BMW.  All this in exchange for being a BMW mega-fan ready to blog, Tweet and Facebook all-things-BMW and performance for a year.  Not too shabby indeed.

To enter simply write a 200-word blog by April 1 showing why you are the perfect choice for the job and can live a high performance life.  Once you’ve submitted your entry you now need to socialize it to the max – getting people to come to your blog and vote for your entry (current leader has had nearly 10,000 views of their post and 3,500 votes).  The 20 most social media connected peeps will then have 48 hours to create a video that shows their obsession with performance.  The 10 contestants who get the most video votes will be interviewed with one winning the big prize.

We love this one for so many reasons – the first one, massive incentive for people to enter (who wouldn’t want this job).  Second, natural use of the world of social media to amplify the efforts – nice stages for the competition provide more rounds to get the word out.  Third, leveraging every social media channel available to provide a plethora of tweets, posts and updates.

Now, of course, how can we make it better? Would love to see some dealer involvement by the finalists – spreading the love of the campaign to the ground level and getting the dealers excited.  And how about creating a BMW Blogger Brigade (name needs some work) with the finalists – these guys and gals with be brand BMW mega fans, let’s put them to work with a small salary to keep the conversation going.

All in all, a solid example of a brand putting out an offer worthy of the time/effort that is being asked by the participants.  And an instant playbook on how to create a campaign with various levels that keep the content and the people coming back for more.  Well done BMW!

Melting In Boston - Digital Agencies Snowed In For Fun

Always love when an agency jumps into the world of social media just to have some fun.  Case in point for today:  Digitas Boston.  The poor guys and gals this year have had massive snowfalls, and the white stuff has been piling up for weeks.  

Win The Cover of Rolling Stone Magazine

Just heard about something that any aspiring artist would love to score - the cover of the influential Rolling Stone magazine.  Every major global music superstar has graced the cover of this magazine.  Now 16 undiscovered acts have the chance to be among those elite - as the magazine for the first time in it's near 50 year history is offering up this valuable space in the new "Choose The Cover" campaign.

The competition is conneting some major heavyweights to drive mass awareness - in addition to Rolling Stone Magazine the campaign tied in The Jimmy Fallon Show which will air the first national performance of the winning band.  The campaign also checked off the music "cred" box by teamping up securing some performance spots at the Bonnaroo Music Festival.  And Garnier Fructis is on board and providing I'm assuming some of the dollars from a brand trying to reach the youth segment.  A smart move for the brand given the marketing mix that should see the effort go far and wide.  And with the various stages of narrowing down the field it should have an engaged audience over several months.

Advertising-sponsored license plates?

A friend of mine in Chicago (thanks Cathleen) sent me an article from yesterday's Chicago Tribue talking about new legislation that could brands sponsor license plates - a new way for States to generate revenue.  Imagine mini billboards staring at you on the roads, adding yet another level of white noise of advertising into an already loud environment of brands screaming at us everyday. 

But, if we move that to the side, you have to love the creative thinking here and what could be happening down the road.  Imagine if you saw a McDonalds billboard in front of you and you start day-dreaming of a Big Mac and you get in an accident with a car that has a license plate sponsored by State Farm - talk about a brand being in the right place at the right time.  And what if Target puts some bulls-eyes on a license plate, will those cars have more accident than others, perhaps by hunters who are driving and get confused?  And imagine if the neighboring state of Wisconsin wants to put "Visit Wisconsin" logos on Illinois plates.  Can't wait to see what happens.

I'm a sucker for brands that find a way to share some love via Valentine's Day.  This past weekend through Valentine's Day we here at Momentum PR worked with Telstra - Australia's largest telco - and invited Australia to share who they "heart" on the country'st largest (well, tallest) LED screen.  Nearly 5,000 people sent in a text message of their name and the name of who they love and we put it on the big screen in the heart of Melbourne's CBD.  Everyone who sent in a text received a photo of their message back to their mobile phones to share with their own loved one.  We even had someone who contacted us to use the big screen for a marriage proposal - so love was all around.

Today in the US the good people at AT&T also are showing the love in the form of their "Shout your love from the mountaintop" Valentine's Day campaign - which invites people to send in valentine's messages via social media.  Some people will get a personalised video of their message literally being shouted from the mountaintops by real (or maybe good actors) mountain men.  You can tune in all day to watch a live webcast of the messages being shouted; currently nearly 10,000 people have shared their love via mountain men - so love truly is in the air.  It's not too late to join in on the fun, head on over to the campaign page on Facebook to send your love to the world.  You can also head to the campaign YouTube page to watch some hilarious mountain men or watch the campaign introduction video below.

I have to say I love the marketing department at the CW.  A few years ago they gave us the instant classic "OMFG" campaign to drive crazy amounts of buzz and controversy for the upcoming season of Gossip Girl - causing near traffic accidents with racy scenes of the lead characters in a variety of potentially sexual positions (enough to have you take a very close look).  

Next up was the classic "Menage A Tues" and "Tuesdays The New Hump Day" for the remake of Melrose Place which went one step further in it's marketing efforts - not only does the show have hot characters and sometimes they have sex (similar to Gossip Girl), this time around CW was able to instantly let fans know what night to tune in to watch all the fun.  (Unfortunately the campaign wasn't enough as the show was cancelled - but it was fun while it lasted for Melrose Place part 2.)

Now comes the push to encourage people to "Catch VD" - Vampire Diaries that is, not venereal disease of course.  A friend of mine in LA sent me a photo of a billboard on Sunset Boulevard that shares the love, I mean VD, I mean Vampire Diaries.  And then online I found a photo of another "Catch VD" billboard between MamaMia and Disney billboard - what a rough place to catch VD

So great to see the fine line of reaching out to your core audience (youth) and getting them excited while simultaneously stirring up drama with parents being walked so well by CW.  

As always, how we can we make it better?  Well, the campaign is just arriving so word on the street is that the sexy cast of the Vampire Diaries will be making their way on the billboards in place or beside the "Catch VD" line.  So we can only guess what is coming up next.  Would love to see some of the billboards in bathrooms at night clubs - adding a nice reminder to people who may be about to head down the real VD path. And how about encouraging people on Facebook to say they "Caught VD" to win some Vampire Diaries swag?  And of course, there has to be a "Catch VD" mini game in the works - imagine the battle to say who has caught VD the most!

See the full gallery on Posterous

Carl's Jr. and Hardee's kicked off 2011 with a world first - a GPS-enabled loyalty program (Happy Star Rewards) - rewarding fans who check in at restaurant locations in the US.  A great example of the fast-moving merging of location-based technology and marketing.  The company's new app for iPhone and Android smartphones makes it easy for people to check-in simultaneously on Facebook, Foursquare and Twitter.  

The first time fans check-in as well as every fourth time they check-in they spin "The Wheel of Awesome" (already alive on Carls/Hardees Facebook pages) to instantly win free (awesome) stuff.  Users can get coupons to use in the next 30 minutes or save them for seven days.

This will no doubt be the first of many similar fast-food check-in/loyalty programs.  The next fun will be an app that will collate all of your check-in opportunities into one and automatically check you in when you are near appropriate locations - let me get started working on that! 

Nothing like star-spangled, private part blurring underwear to kick off my blog in 2011!  While I was home in the great Commonwealth of Kentucky for the holidays I got the scoop on what has to be the next great fashion trend coming to a pat-down, body scanning station at an airport near you.  I give you - Scanner Shirts - with USA stars over nipples and emblems over more private parts - ready to surprise and entertain transportation officials everywhere, blurring out naughty bits on the image of a body scanner.

This is an awesome reminder of the power of creativity and how our brains can look at any new change in our surrounding environment - this one in the form of body scanners at airports and people worried about their private parts being seen.  So next time you are facing a big creative hurdle take a moment to think back to Scanner Shirts and the good ol' USA - I'm betting you'll be able to see right through your challenge to an amazing new creative way to tackle it.  If not you may just need to order your own scanner shirt, fly to the US to check it out and then you'll really get your creative juices flowing.  

WOOHOO for 2011!

Cats Meow For Ikea

As part of their new 'Happy Inside' campaign, Ikea decided to let a 100 cats loose in their store.  Why cats? The idea was that Cats know what it's like to be happy inside, as they are the epitome of contentment.  The ad features the 100 cats making themselves at home amongst the Ikea furniture, highlighting the homeliness of their products.  They've not only made a 60 second advert but also a 'making of' video.  But a must see is the parody of 'the making of' video. 

On the Facebook page for the campaign - Ikea Cats - you can upload a pic of your cat with Ikea furniture, plus you can also win if you can guess which furniture cats jumped on during the advert in their Cat-alogue.

Converse Music Magic With Converse Rubber Tracks

Amazing tactic by Converse to get its foot in the door of the music industry.  The shoe company is building a studio in Brooklyn, NYC USA called Converse Rubber Tracks, which will provide artists with free recording time in exchange for future promotions. Converse is not looking for revenue from the songs themselves--artists will actually keep ownership rights--but it is hoping to gain access to on-the-verge bands, which will generate good will for the brand for helping to break them and get Converse in on the ground floor.

A nice summary of the strategy below from CMO of Converse as interviewed in Fast Company: “Think of a cul-de-sac with four garages, and in those garages are four bands.  On the street are all the big brands of the world--Coke, Apple, the car companies--standing there waiting for the garage door to open and the cool band to step out so they can tell them they’re going to make them famous. But I would venture to say that inside those garages those kids are already wearing our shoes.”