This is awesome, but only in select Metropoli

So I can see this app working well in combination with Twitter--A twitter map with all my buddies, I can click on the map, their profile pops up with their latest Twits.
I could see this working well with Flickr. Same map, but with live pics.

The thing is, you need to be in a place, a geographically small city, where people are moving around, it seems only perfect for bar hoppers. Or bike messengers. If people aren't moving every few hours, why check their location? We'll see.

But what I WANT to see this working well with are live branded events. "Sometime today, somewhere in Manhattan, we will giving away free [INSERT PRODUCT HERE]. Watch your map." The map can be on the product home page. The guy who has the van full of free shit can "turn on" his location for 15 min then shut it off... It's an instant mad rush to the area, you can see how many users are there. FINALLY we can measure giveaways, product demos and events. It's a hotbed for compelling content of all sorts.

If they're shorter, i think ill actually watch em

So Miller High Life is doing 30 1 second ads during the superbowl. The premise revolves around the well known price for a TV ad on the superbowl. "3 Million dollars? that's a hundred grand a second! If high life had a spot, all we'd need is a second..."

It's so true. You need a logo and a smile, that's it (at least with beer you do).

But what's more interesting is that since it's so quick, I will STOP MY DVR to watch it. When I'm fast forwarding commercials, a one second commercial will look like blip... a very intriguing blip. That's compelling content. A spot (which is not usually compelling content) which is specific to the modern media it's on, recognizes the bloated spending and messaging in tradvertising, and takes it on, head on.

We need more campaigns that recognize the DVR user. I propose a slow motion spot, viewed best in fast motion...1, 2, or 3 triangles fast.

Award Shows are Relevant, Dammit! Vol 8

So, I went to the One Show Interactive last night, Nikon and MRM Worldwide won a gold pencil for its project Nikon Picturetown. It's a ripe example of compelling content. They said, who better to taut the product of experts and afficianados than the users themselves? So they gave away free cameras and said "let us and the world know how it well it works." It spread like wildfire, and the users became lifetime fans. It's another step forward for these clients, who first dabbled with their D80 project, praised by new marketing bloggers like Joseph Jaffe . So the relevant part is this: If more creatives win awards for community based thinking like this, then more creatives will present it. And if those presentations are for forward thinking clients like Nikon, than our whole industry will benefit.

PS All this award show talk will end soon, I promise, the season's almost over.

Award Shows are relevant, dammit! vol.5

More to come. I'm just getting the excitement started. I forsee another smart move by the Andy Awards to be more modern, making modern advertising the star. Can't say more.

Shell Oil takes a good swing

I got a copy of the long (9 minutes) version of Shell's Eureka in my Wired mag. I watched it, so what? Also, there were 2 print ads to go with it throughout the mag. Also, the video is easily found online and TV. So good job Shell. Although, they didn't buy the search, so I ended up with sleeping bags at first. ANYWAY, it's a good effort. The movie was a bit obvious and chocked full o public relations. But, entertaining and free. I'll dub this compelling content because they covered their bases by making sure messages matched across media, and because they did a movie, however short, with high production value and effort.

Reviving the Phone

So I saw an ad for the MTV Movie Awards on the side of a phone booth. It read, for a good time call 1-877-SARAH-07. With Sarah Silverman in the picture. Brilliant.
How many times do we advertisers ask people to txt "bllsht" to 4553? Or to check out this website.com, next time your at a computer, ok?
No, this ad reminds us that phones are in all our pockets, and that a phone number is still useful. Oh, and it was entertaining. Sarah Silverman is so freaking funny. I called 6 times to hear all the different messages. Anyway, its compelling content because I got to be entertained walking down the street for a free call, and I got a message to watch the MTV movie awards, which I might do because, again, Sarah is so freaking funny.
My complaint: Why couldn't I find an image of the poster online? That's called impressions people, and the more you make available said impressions for distribution the more you get. Is it that hard?

Stay Tuned

So I just got an invite from Alex, the Wired Jester, to beta test Joost. I am excited to explore this platform. Check out the ad, its good. I will be sharing my insights shortly. Also, I want to comment on the idea of letting people beta test. I'm sure that's old news. But I'm not usually a person who runs into those types of invites... so there must have been tons out there, and I'll gladly take part in the conversation. Good prelaunch marketing: give people your product. Duh.