The biggest thing in video this week (even this year) is the Old Spice Man responding to tweets through personalized YouTube videos. I know, I know we already talked about it earlier this week. What’s there left to say? Well I’m glad you asked. (Don’t worry you didn’t forget, I asked for you.)
It’s been interesting to see how these videos have played out. While Old Spice’s personalized video campaign started and ended this week, that didn’t stop a certain Harold B. Lee Library from making its own version of the original commercial.
New Spice | Study like a scholar, scholar:
Very nicely done. I especially like the guy lying next to the plant around 0:18. It is a library; he knew the risks going in there.
To give you an idea of how popular the Old Spice campaign has become, take a look at this screen shot of YouTube’s Most Viewed videos.
The guy with no shirt, standing in a towel, represents the video responses from The Man Your Man Could Smell Like. That’s a lot of Most Viewed Old Spice videos.
Another popular topic this week has been Lebron James and his decision. I’m not going to pretend that I know a lot about tennis or what doubles team Lebron James was traded to, but I will say that this next video is hilarious. Steve Carell is truly a comic genius.
Steve Carell spoofs Lebron James The Decision during ESPYs:
Welcome to Oneupweb Reviews’ Fun Friday! On this last day of the work week we review topics that are a little different from the norm. Today I am excited to highlight a new and exciting way of marketing that includes something everyone loves, dancing.
This new type of dancing is called Flash-Mobbing. Though the name brings to mind a very strange riot situation, it’s not that at all. Flash-Mobs are dances performed in public, and marketers are jumping on the band wagon. This is a trend that has spread like wildfire across social networks through viral video. Lets take a look at a few of our favorites.
H&M Kids Fashion Flash Mob
This seemingly impromptu Flash-Mob is for a children’s clothing line called H&M. The dance was designed to show how comfortable and functional the clothing line is, while maintaining a level of fashion.
The T-Mobile Dance
I can’t help but smile when I see people join in with the fun here. The dance took place at Liverpool Street Station, with over 400 dancers, and was filmed by ten hidden cameras. This dance was created to promote T-Mobile’s new “Life’s for sharing” TV campaigns.
Nefesh B’Nefesh Hanukkah Flash Mob
Here Nefesh B’Nefesh brought over 150 participants together on Ben Yehuda Street for the first ever Jerusalem flash mob in honor of Hanukkah.
100 Single Ladies Flash-Dance for Trident Unwrapped
Unfortunately the high quality version of the video has had the audio replaced due to copyright complications. Below is a video recorded by someone on the scene.
100 “single ladies” stopped traffic in Piccadilly Circus to announce Trident’s free Beyonce concert.
Oprah’s Kickoff Party – Flash Mob Dance!
The day before the performance, 800 gathered to learn this dance for Oprah’s kick off party. Then the day of the kick off everyone worked together to teach the dance to 21,000 people in all.
Speaking of Flash-Mobs one commenter said,
“Instead of war, the whole world should Flash-Mob Dance!”
Flash-Mobs have become an amazing viral sensation. They’ve also had a unifying effect on viewers throughout world. Scrolling through the comments I observed that people are beginning to see what we can do when we work together instead of fight.
Flash-Mobs are a marketing strategy that gives back, and puts a smile on your face. There’s no doubt we here at Oneupweb, are big fans.
Hello everyone and a Happy Friday to you! Every Friday we try to make sure you leave the Oneupweb Reviews blog smiling, and this week we won’t disappoint. Recently, we stumbled upon a few very clever ads that made us laugh, and we bet you will too.
Happiness Machine – Coca-Cola
What a great way to associate your product with happiness. Not only does Coke promote its product here, but they actually give back to the world. Who doesn’t love the combination of Coke and pizza? I know that’s what I’m picking up tonight.
Secret Motorola Code Unlocks Taser
These are great. On one hand the Droid is poking fun at how ridiculous the hype around apps has gotten, and on the other hand they are participating in the hype. If you look at some of the comments left by viewers on the Droid YouTube Channel, people actually believe the Droid can interpret dog speak, determine bra size, and turn street lights green. But that’s part of the fun.
The Other Tiger Woods Commercial
Most of us have seen the Nike ad for Tiger’s return to the Masters next week. Advertising executive Donny Deutsch called the ad ’stunningly brilliant’ on NBC’s Today Show on Thursday. He said:
“It would be so easy for Nike to kind of just not advertise now, and then six months from now show him playing golf,” Deutsch said. “It just basically walks right in and says this guy Tiger has transformed himself, he’s reflective, obviously what he did was terribly wrong, but to have his father’s voice as the conscience, is I think, brilliant.”
I totally agree with Donny on this one, but Nike had to expect there would be some parodies of the video. Like the one featured on Jimmy Kimmel Live below:
The Orno – Revolutionizing the Decision Making Process
Washington Post’s Mensa Invitational asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Out of the many submitted, by far my favorite word was:
Sarchasm : The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn’t get it.
I’ve spent time on both sides of the gulf, but either side I’ve always gotten a good laugh. I’m a huge fan of marketing campaigns that poke fun at the ridiculous hype some marketers come up with. Whenever I hear words like magical, or revolutionary – I think of Apple. If there was ever a line of products that is known for being overly hyped, it would be Apple. And maybe this hype stems from Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs. For example, below is a excerpt of a Q&A with Steve:
Q: Why have you veered away from widgets on the iPad?
Steve: We just shipped it on Saturday. And then we rested on Sunday.
Q: So widgets are possible?
Steve: Everything is possible
This dialogue took place Easter weekend, and it appears as if Steve Jobs is referring to the biblical account of creation – when God rested on the Sabbath. Maybe Steve should have said, “Everything is possible… except multitasking and flash integration.” But I digress.
The makers of the Orno do a great job of poking fun at the hype that we see all too often when launching new products.
• “It’s truly groundbreaking, never before seen technology at its very finest. And that’s what drives Orno.”
• “It’s truly remarkable. Almost magic, but absolutely genius in its simplicity. It’s a no brainer.”
• “It’s so intuitive it’s almost to the point of intrigue for the user…Because you know that you’re holding the answers to something that you may have spent your entire career trying to figure out.”
My favorite part of this video is when Rusty B. breaks the traditional hyped ad format for one moment, looks at the camera, and says, “It’s just that smart.” Almost as if to allude to the overly hyped dialogue used throughout the ad.
Does the Orno actually tell you if your marketing campaign is going to be successful or not? You’ll have to try it out for yourself.
These ads make us laugh and keep us on our toes. We appreciate marketing that gives back a little. Even if it simply makes us smile. And for that, we give these creative marketing campaigns an…
It’s difficult for marketers to spend massive amounts of money on marketing campaigns without knowing what the outcome will be. Will the campaign succeed or will it fail? Wouldn’t it be nice to know exactly what was going to happen with your campaign before you spent time and money creating it?
Sounds like I’m talking about going to the future doesn’t it? The good people at Orno have created the next best thing to time travel: The Orno.
This simple, easy to use application claims it will determine the success of your marketing campaign before you launch it. We contacted Orno and of course they wouldn’t reveal exactly how the Orno predicts the success of your campaign. But they did send us this video below that talks about what the Orno does.
The break-through technology that powers Orno will help you predict the success or belly-smacking failure of your next marketing campaign by drawing on a database powered by more than thirteen years of collective campaign creative, results metrics, neuro-marketing analysis and more. The technology is astounding. And so is the potential for your business. Predict the success of your next campaign with Orno. It’s a no brainer.
We gave the Orno a try, and to tell you the truth the results were pretty surprising. All we had to do was type in a 141 character description of our campaign idea and the Orno did the rest.
After getting our response we clicked “What the Heck?” and all was explained. We figured what did we have to lose? In fact we were entered into a drawing to win an Apple iPad! Can’t beat that.
Check out the Orno for yourself and let us know how well it can predict the success of your next campaign.
Here’s our list of the 2010’s Top Ten Best April Fools’ Jokes, enjoy!
10. Kodak Releases Aromatized Images
Kodak has cleverly introduced a new line of products called AROMATIZED images. AROMATOGRAPHY is the process of embedding smells into your photography. Thanks to breakthrough in Neuro-Optic-Nasal-Sense Imaging (deep breath), you now can experience your photos in a whole new way. Move over 3D you’ve got nothing on AROMATOGRAPHY!
Learn more in this interview with Dr. Harold Museau, PhD, inventor of Aromatography.
9. Google Renames Itself in Honor of Topeka
Early last month the mayor of Topeka, Kansas stunned the world by announcing that his city was changing its name to Google. Google has been wondering ever since how best to honor that gesture. Today Google announced that as of 1AM (Central Daylight Time) April 1st, Google has officially changed its name to Topeka.
8. First Prescription Windshield Launches
Constantly having to swap your glasses or remember to bring along a pair for driving? Do away with the hassle, as Auto Windscreens, innovators in automotive glazing, has successfully launched its first prescription windshield.
7. Wikipedia Features Article on Wife Selling
Here’s today’s featured article on Wikipedia: Wife Selling.
6. Google Docs Now Allows Upload of Physical Objects
Google docs have always been a great way to store your digital information. But as of today not only can you store your digital documents, but your physical property as well. That’s right, you can upload your cat, keys, lava lamp, or exercise ball for only $0.10 per kg. Just read the testimonies of satisfied customers below.
5. Thinkgeek Now Selling Unicorn Meat, With Extra Sparkles
Just read the description of ThinkGeek’s Canned Unicorn Meat. I couldn’t describe this product any better than this.
Unicorns, as we all know, frolic all over the world, pooping rainbows and marshmallows wherever they go. What you don’t know is that when unicorns reach the end of their lifespan, they are drawn to County Meath, Ireland. The Sisters at Radiant Farms have dedicated their lives to nursing these elegant creatures through their final days. Taking a cue from the Kobe beef industry, they massage each unicorn’s coat with Guinness daily and fatten them on a diet comprised entirely of candy corn.
As the unicorn ages, its meat becomes fatty and marbled and the living bone in the horn loses density in a process much like osteoporosis. The horn’s outer layer of keratin begins to develop a flavor very similar to candied almonds. Blending the crushed unicorn horn into the meat adds delightful, crispy flavor notes in each bite. We are confident you will find a world of bewilderment in every mouthful of scrumptious unicorn meat.
4. YouTube Offers Text Videos to Promote Literacy
This exert from YouTube’s blog explains the idea behind text videos.
TEXTp is the result of months of intense transcoding efforts by our engineers, who toiled for weeks to ensure that a large chunk of videos on the platform could be reduced to their most basic elements. By replacing the images in the video with a series of letters and numbers, the videos are far less taxing on our system — and have the added benefit of promoting literacy!
For every person who selects TEXTp and keeps it on while you watch a video, you save YouTube $1 a second, resulting in potentially billions of dollars of savings for us. So if you care about YouTube, you’ll use TEXTp today.
3. Hulu Leaks Plan to Take Over the World
Hulu has a leaked a confidential page revealing their plan for world domination. Talk about a PR mess. Watch the video to find out in the end there is nothing that you can do, so enjoy the free TV while aliens turn your brains to mush.
2. CollegeHumor.com Under Investigation By United States Department Of Information
The site FunnyOrDie.com, a site dedicated to all things funny, has been taken over by the teenage heart throb Justin Beiber.
BeiberOrDie as it is now called, features Justin Bieber videos forced upon viewers like his music has been forced upon the nation. I have to give Justin some credit though. He’s willing to laugh at himself, as is evident in the intro video.
Bonus: Oneupweb’s Revolutionary Decision Making Product – The Orno
I also want to point out Oneupweb’s April fools’ prank called the Orno. The idea was to convince marketers that a tool was created that could tell whether or not their campaign would be successful. Check it out for free here: TheOrno.com.
Watch Introducing the Orno below, and let us know what you think.
Official Oneupweb Review: (We love them all) Thumbs Up!
Have you ever wondered how much of an impact a social media campaign can have? Since social media’s inception, we have seen its influence grow. For example, many political pundits attribute the successful political campaign of President Obama to his social media strategy. Though some say it can be difficult to measure the effectiveness of social media, there’s no denying bottom line results. Which brings us to a recent social media-based campaign instigated by the environmental activism group Greenpeace.
To spread the word about this report Greenpeace encouraged Facebook fans to change their profile picture to the image below:
Several Greenpeace activists also began leaving comments on Nestlé’s Facebook Fan Page, cleverly asking them to give the rain forest a break. Nestlé responded to the flood of comments by threatening to delete posts if users adopted an altered version of the company’s logo.
This only added fuel to the fire. Users felt Nestlé was missing the point.
Greenpeace also released a video that immediately went viral, but Nestlé requested that YouTube censor the video. A “censored version” was soon released.
So did the campaign ultimately have an impact? Greenpeace demanded that Nestlé stop using Sinar Mas as a supplier of palm oil, and in a statement released March 19, 2010, Nestlé said, “After the publication of Greenpeace’s ‘Illegal Forest Clearance’ report in 2009, we started our own investigations, reviewing the allegations that the report made. As a result of these investigations, we took the decision to replace Sinar Mas as a supplier of palm oil with another supplier for further shipments.” Nestlé also stated that the company would be moving to “Certified Sustainable Palm Oil” by 2015.
Whether you side with Greenpeace or Nestlé, there’s no doubt that this campaign has had an impact and influenced change. Not to mention, this serves as a notice to brands. You don’t want just anyone managing your social media. A tactful tailored response from Nestlé could have put water on the fire instead of gas. You need someone who “gets it” and is allowed the freedom to respond in a real, sincere, down-to-earth way.
So to review the effectiveness of Greenpeace’s campaign, there’s no doubt that it has had an impact. For the effective use of social media we give this Greenpeace campaign an…
It’s Friday and everyone knows what that means, the last day before the weekend. Something special happens to people on Fridays. They seem rejuvenated, invigorated, excited. Maybe it’s the satisfaction of a job well done, or maybe it’s just the fact they have the next two days off. Either way, to go along with the Friday wonder, we thought we would have a little fun with our Oneupweb Reviews blog today.
We’ve all seen them while posting on our walls, minding our own business. Then something catches our eye, off to the right, it’s a Facebook Ad. Some of them make no sense, while others are just hilarious. These Facebook ads can get pretty weird. Let’s take a look some of our favorite, and see how they rate.
Are they offering immortality or a credit report?
This is legit, I can tell by their inquisitive nature.
It’s true, one time during Thanksgiving my brother carelessly shouted out, “Let’s eat Grandma!” Talk about a misunderstanding. Grandma doesn’t visit much anymore.
Everyone knows this secret, it’s called permanent marker.
I have two questions, is this Harry Potter, or Hermione wearing Harry’s glasses and sporting a five o-clock shadow? And unless this scholarship is for Hogwarts, I don’t see the point. We all know that’s where HP fans go.
You want me to go back to where?
People laugh, but when I saw this one I thought, how did they get a picture of my dad? But that was when he was in a band. I can’t imagine where I would place this guy in a job, maybe a caveman in those Geico commercials.
I remember the spoon talk. Your partner says to you, we need to talk. You think, great here we go. And for the next hour, you get berated about how your spoon collection is taking priority over the relationship. People if I had a problem with spoons, would I be able to still use knives and forks? I can quit collecting spoons anytime I want to.
My wife wants to have a baby; I thought this would be easier, like it says, no mess. Apparently the image didn’t help my cause.
So that’s how they pass laws, makes total sense now.
Although no one really enjoys being advertised to, we all know that that’s what makes businesses like Facebook possible. And at least we can say that the marketers here have kept us entertained. So for all the bizarre ads that Facebook has produced we give Facebook Ads…
Official Oneupweb Review: Oneup Thumbs Up
If you have any weird Facebook ads that you want to share with us, let us know!
Skittles is one brand that we like to keep an eye on. The rainbow candy’s creators seem to have a good grasp on social media and cutting edge marketing techniques. It helps that the nature of their product allows them to create some unusual marketing campaigns. Today, let’s dive into the marketing angle Skittles has taken now.
You never know what to expect when you type in the URL www.skittles.com. A few months ago you would have been directed to the Wikipedia page for Skittles. But today we had a chance to “Experience the Rainbow,” and what an experience it was.
Not only was I encouraged to “Taste the Rainbow” as you might expect, but also to (and I quote), “Lace the Train Slow.”
The play on words didn’t stop there. There’s “Trace the Vain Bro,” “Encase the Faint Glow,” and “Chase the Vain Crow” to name a few.
It appears that Skittles has created these entertaining bits of content for users to share via social media. Skittles understands that having your customers help sell your product is the new business model. That’s because the use of search engines is waning in comparison to social search. Just last night I had a Facebook friend ask if anyone had ever ordered prescription glasses online. I told her yes, gave her the site URL, and now she plans on purchasing glasses there. People trust product recommendations from people within their social circle far more than from anywhere else.
To review the Skittles website alone would be shortsighted. And the pieces of content kind of freak me out. For example, this badly Photoshoped astronaut clown brings up some mixed emotions. (Primarily, my childhood fear of clowns and love for space exploration.)
By the time I was done scrolling through the Skittles site I wasn’t sure what to think. And as I scrolled, I realized you can’t reach the end of the site… just like a rainbow.
Instead of reviewing the website itself, let’s give our assessment of the overall Skittles marketing strategy:
Official Oneupweb Review: Oneup-Thumbs-Up
By observing online trends and planning accordingly, Skittles is a brand that understands where digital marketing is going.
Speaking of trends, earlier today we released a new white paper entitled Search Gone Wild, An Eye Tracking Study on Google’s Real-Time Results.
One trend we’ve seen is that traditional search engines are being used less and less, and social networks more and more. Just a few weeks ago Facebook flew by Yahoo in total number of unique visitors reported. Google even created its own social networking tool recently, Google Buzz, to get in on the action. Like Wayne Gretzky pointed out, you have to skate to where the puck is going, not where it’s at. And search is, and has been, going social.
Observing these trends, we here at Oneupweb say, “Follow the Trends Bro.” It’s time to experience the rainbow.
Some companies don’t understand the value of answering Twitter’s question, “What are you doing?”
Do people really need to know you’re putting on your socks right this minute? Or that you were cut off in traffic because some idiot driver wasn’t watching where YOU were going while YOU were tweeting about his bad driving? Some business leaders probably think of Twitter in this way – a real-time timewaster.
Like any advertising or marketing tactic, some work better for certain businesses than others. And there are some businesses we just don’t picture having a Twitter account. With the Food and Drug Administration breathing down the drug industry’s neck, I didn’t expect global healthcare company Novo Nordisk to start a Twitter profile, but they did.
Intrigued, I decided to review the company’s use of Twitter in its larger campaign for diabetes management called “Race with Insulin.” How, if at all, does this Twitter profile impact the campaign and the company? Before answering that question, let’s look at the actual elements of the campaign.
Diabetic race car driver Charlie Kimball is posting tweets about his personal experiences with diabetes management and appearances he makes to support awareness of the disease, as well as his day-to-day life on the track, in a Twitter profile sponsored by Novo Nordisk. There is a corresponding blog, Living in the Fast Lane with Diabetes, along with Kimball’s personal YouTube channel and Facebook Fan Page.
Twitter provides the perfect outlet for Kimball to update fans about new blog posts, appearances, and even to share links to sites that have helped him with diabetes management.
But Twitter is more than just a machine for pushing out press releases and other links. By answering the question “What are you doing?” companies are connecting with customers. In Kimball’s case his post, “Just checked my blood glucose before lunch. Grilled asparagus Panini with fruit. Mmmmm!” could inspire a diabetic to make better food choices. Diet and medication work together to manage diabetes, so it’s win-win for Novo.
Overall, having a dependable advocate who can share his or her experiences with your product is a great idea, and Twitter can help make that connection with consumers. Kimball’s tweets are great, but getting to them is difficult and that could really slow down the campaign’s momentum. When I land on Kimball’s blog or Novo’s home page, I should see a clear link that leads me to the campaign’s Twitter profile.
For a better example of how to integrate social elements, read my blog posts about the Ford Fiesta Movement (my initial post is here with a follow up here).
Official Oneupweb Review: Oneup Thumbs-Up, leaning slightly to the right! (Use of Twitter is great, but better integration with other social media would help the visibility and longevity of the entire campaign.)
Summer blockbusters always provide an opportunity for me to play my favorite game: “spot the product placement.” Companies whose products are just background fodder (like a can of Pepsi strategically held for maximum logo visibility by the actor) don’t score as high in my book as brands that seamlessly become a part of the movie.
Not everyone has Chevy’s same opportunity, basically introducing their new Camaro as 80s cartoon icon and current movie “star,” Bumblebee. Plenty of creative opportunities still exist for translating that same kind of brand engagement through an integrated marketing campaign. Ford Motor Company provides one great example.
The struggling automaker launched its six-month Fiesta Movement campaign in April to promote the 2010 release of its European compact, the Ford Fiesta, to Generation Y. While not as flashy as Bumblebee, Ford’s recent sponsorship is a great example of how a creative, properly integrated campaign continues to draw awareness from its target audience.
SPONSORING TIME-WASTERS
Some audiences are more prone to waste time than others. And while some of us scoff at those silly Facebook quizzes, certain B2C businesses could potentially benefit from a fun quiz that understands its audience, and is a part of a much larger, integrated marketing campaign. While Ford didn’t use a Facebook quiz, its recent video game sponsorship did tie into the Fiesta Movement in a subtle, creative way.
Ford Motor Company’s sponsorship of “HoverKart,” a recently released game by OMGPOP, shows the brand understands its audience. Using a “Konami Code,” a game cheat code developed in the 80s, OMGPOP created a programming “Easter Egg” to replace standard cars with a pimped out version of the Ford Fiesta.
Mashable reports so far the game has been played 1.3 million times for a whopping 36,000 hours of “wasted” time. Hmmm … perhaps some 20-year-old’s time could have been more productively spent on other endeavors, but the game doesn’t waste one second for Ford.
Please don’t think I’m advocating that every business sponsor a video game or go create a Facebook quiz. I’m saying quite the opposite. Ford’s Fiesta Movement is showing companies how to integrate social media marketing with other tactics that make sense for engaging a specific audience.
Official Oneupweb Review: Oneup Thumbs-Up!
Editor’s Note: Learn how major social brands become successful. Read Oneupweb’s latest post about how you can convert social media marketing into business.
Thumbs Up!
