Cell phones pop corn. False, but I still don't think it fits the failure formula.

So this video is hot right now. 8 million hits over the last 10(?) days. And it was on CNN this morning. They interviewed Scott Goodson of Strawberry Frog about it. He noted what we all understand in advertising: since its false, it will fail. It's true perhaps for that company, but I think they still helped out the whole bluetooth industry. I think its compelling content. We believed it because we're thinking it: maybe cells could pop popcorn. Maybe I should get that shit away from my head. So the video itself will fizzle, the company won't be remembered for posing the idea and they'll be the guys who faked the video. But the other makers are now primed to play up the fear and conversation going on. Let's see who steps up.

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.

It should all be CRM from here on out...

I Just read this on Beyond Madison Avenue. Wanted to keep it here. I think this is a good insight. Advertisers need to take all that leftover TV money and reinvest it into the customers. Then they'll say, it's awesome to own a Volvo, they took all that bullshit money they spent on TV ads and turned it into an extended warranty, free oil changes, or free roadside assistance for me, a current customer. I'll be glad to share this experience with friends and websites.

That is, have you ever asked a car owner what they think of the commercials for the car they currently own? Or did you ask them, perhaps, what they think of the car they own?

Award Shows are relevant, dammit! Volume 4.

Look, I don't want to be the guy who's all about awards, I just keep stumbling opon this stuff--sorry. But alas, via 9:01am, found out that the Emmy's have stepped up and welcomed broadband programming into its pool of contestants. This is like the first person to ever scream to a crowd, "hey guys, electricity is great, you know?" and the crowd cheers back, "here here! three cheers for electricity!"
But it's promising, because they're on to something with their criteria:“With broadband, the scope is global, the concept universal, and the community, all-inclusive. The amateur is the professional is the consumer. From the small screen to the smaller screen, NBC to MySpace, on television and online, the only differentiation worth making is good content from bad,” said Christie Morrongiello, Manager Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards, NATAS.
Well put Christie, good content is compelling content. and its the only thing that will survive when broadband and tv are the same thing.

Via BeyondMadisonAvenue, I was exploring this viral campaign. The creators claim its part of the "Never Hide" big idea for RayBan. But I ask you, where is the website url, or even a logo? As for the action, where is the hiding (or the actively not hiding)? It's cool, don't get me wrong, but it is in no way compelling content. I think people will like it, and buzz will ensue, so that's a plus. And as a lifestyle piece, I think they're right on the target. But what does this video tell me about shades, or more specifically, RayBans and me together?