CHECK IT OUT
The dancing Filipino inmates are back with a brand new routine; the original Filipino Prison dance video of Michael Jackson’s "Thriller", posted in July 2007, generated more than 35 million views

Source: Buzzfeed.com, 11/05/09

An Application to Help Scrub Those Regrettable Photos From Facebook
Wisk clothing detergent brand has created Wisk-it, a Facebook application which allows users to remove unflattering photos that friends have posted – the user selects tagged photos they would like to remove and Wisk-it sends a request to the poster asking them to pull the bad photos
Source: The New York Times, 11/01/09

Vegemite Contest Draws Protests
Earlier this year, Kraft Foods Australia launched a contest asking consumers to re-name spread Vegemite; they received 50,000 entries, resulting in the new name iSnack 2.0 which generated a strong negative reaction in the online community – four days after the iSnack 2.0 launch, the brand announced that they would hold another contest to determine the product’s new name by providing the public with six names to choose from, resulting in the name Cheesybite; the controversy translated into a 47% increase in sales for iSnack 2.0
Source: The New York Times, 11/02/09

Agency Wants to Get Drunk With Prospects
Ad Agency Northlich has created a Vodka Ad Generator, an online application which allows users to create their own alcohol ad by answering five questions about their made-up vodka
Source: AdRANTS, 11/03/09

Weezer and Snuggie Warm Up to Each Other
Rock band Weezer has partnered with Snuggie (the ‘As Seen on TV’ blanket with sleeves) to launch their newest CD, Raditude; fans can purchase the Weezer Snuggie, which comes with the CD, for $29.99 – promotion for the partnership includes a viral video of Weezer band members in a Snuggie infomercial
Source: AdFreak, 11/04/09

Finders Keepers
Soho furniture retailer BluDot has created the Real Good Chair Experiment – based on the “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” theory, GPS-enabled chairs were placed all over NYC, free to anyone who found them; BluDot plans to use the data collected from the chairs to create a documentary about the chairs’ voyage, which can also be tracked through the company’s Web site
Source: MetropolisMag, 11/04/09

What the Socialsphere Really Thinks About You
Social Mention is a new analytic tool which provides data on how a keyword (brand, name, product) is viewed in the socialsphere including passion, reach and online mentions
Source: Brandflakes for Breakfast, 11/05/09

Trivial Pursuit Ponders which Sex is Smarter
A new campaign for Trivial Pursuit taps into the oldest rivalry in history, the battle of the sexes – the campaign includes an online video featuring men and women doing stupid things and a microsite, TrivialPursuitExperiment.com, where users can log in and try to prove that they are the smarter sex by answering trivia questions
Source: Adweek, 11/05/09

Trivial Pursuit Ponders which Sex is Smarter
A new campaign for Trivial Pursuit taps into the oldest rivalry in history, the battle of the sexes – the campaign includes an online video featuring men and women doing stupid things and a microsite, TrivialPursuitExperiment.com, where users can log in and try to prove that they are the smarter sex by answering trivia questions
Source: Adweek, 11/05/09

When Should Xmas-Shopping Ads Begin?
AdWeek recently held a poll on when it was appropriate to start holiday campaigns:

• 8 percent felt holiday campaigns should start after Labor Day


• 42 percent felt holiday campaigns should start after Halloween


• 35 percent felt holiday campaigns should start after Thanksgiving


• 12 percent replied “never"

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
KXVO-TV (CW; Omaha, NE) Pumpkin Dance!!! Yes, this was broadcast on the news. Enjoy!
Source: KXVO-TV (CW; Omaha, NE), 10/30/09

Nerds Spend $2,000 and Two Years on iPhone Halloween Outfits
Two Apple fans have created working iPhone costumes – the wearable iPhones weigh 85 lbs and took two years and $2,000 to build
Source: BrandFreak, 10/29/09

Burger King: BK Dollar Menu Banner
A new banner ad by Burger King utilizes webcams to promote their dollar menu – after clicking on the ad, users are brought to a microsite where by holding up a dollar they can see what menu items are available; the application will also allow users to transform themselves into The King
Source: Creativity, 10/29/09

Food Bloggers Cook Up Big Business
Food bloggers are the "pièce de résistance" for marketers, who are creating special events with foodies in mind – for example, Club Med is hosting "Food Blogger Camp by Club Med ," a week-long network where foodie bloggers and food writers can meet and network, and big-name wine companies are sponsoring events such as the Wine Bloggers’ Conference; not everyone is thrilled about the increase in food blogs, in the post “How Food Blogs Led to the Demise of 'Gourmet',” Newsweek’s Jennie Yabroff claims that the closing of Gourmet was partially the result of food enthusiasts switching from print to the blogosphere
Source: Marketing Vox, 10/23/09

Chipotle Continuing Green Push with Solar Panels at 75 Locations
As a part of its "Food with Integrity" campaign, Chipotle is installing solar panels on top of 75 restaurants in an effort to be “green” – the supplier of the panels has estimated that the panels will eliminate 41 million pounds of CO2 emissions
Source: BrandFreak, 10/26/09

Russell Athletic 80’s-IZER
The Russell Athletic 80’s-IZER allows users to insert their photo into one of four 80’s video sequences to create a back-to-the-80’s video, featuring Russell Athletic gear; users can share their videos via a variety of social media outlets
Source: Russell Athletic

A Campaign for Clothes by a Guy Not Wearing Any
In September, a number of popular blogs including Gawker, The Huffington Post and Gothamist, and CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360” reported on sightings of “the world’s fastest nudist” – an unidentified man seen running through NYC in running shoes, socks and a fanny pack; the nudist turned out to be an actor creating viral videos for online store Zappos.com, and was not intended to be picked up by media
Source: New York Times, 10/28/09

Improv Everywhere Grocery Store Musical Pimps Trident Gum
Improvisation group Improv Everywhere has released their latest stunt, a grocery store musical about squishing fruit together – production was sponsored by Trident Layers Gum; the video has been viewed close to one million times since being posted on 10/20 and was aired on CNN
Source: AdRants, 10/28/09

Rockport Returns to NYC Marathon
Andy Baldwin of “The Bachelor” will be running the New York Marathon in Rockport’s new line of DressSport dress shoes; Rockport will release 500 pairs of limited edition marathon DressSports which will benefit the ING Run For Something Better program
Source: WWD.com, 10/28/09

Fox Builds Record-Breaking Ice Squirrel for 'Ice Age' DVD Release
To launch the DVD release of “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs,” Twentieth Century Fox created a 133,000 lb., 48-foot-8-inch ice sculpture of Scrat, a prehistoric squirrel from the movie – the sculpture took four days to create and broke the Guinness Book World Records for largest ice sculpture
Source: Brandfreak, 10/29/09

Movember is Coming. Is Your Upper Lip Ready?
The “Movember” campaign is asking men to grow moustaches in November to raise awareness for prostate and testicular cancer – to participate, ‘stache-growing men (and women who support the cause) must visit the Movember Web site and enter and donate; month end competition/parties will be held around the globe for participants to dress up and show off their ‘stache
Source: USA Today, 10/29/09

Nike 6.0 Team Takes Tunnel Jam
To promote Nike 6.0, a line of shoes and apparel for alternative sports, the brand built an underground BMX course in an abandoned tunnel in England; following the launch event, Nike turned the tunnel over to local bikers
Source: ESPN, 10/05/09

Your Charlie Brown-esque head could win you prizes
Legendary comic strip Peanuts is holding a look-a-like contest – fans are encouraged to send in a picture where they look like one of the characters to be judged by Jill Schultz, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood and Jo Frost; prizes include a family trip to Cedar Point Amusement Park and Peanuts merchandise   
Source: USA Today – Pop Candy, 10/19/09

#BeatCancer Sets Guinness World Record, Raises Over $70,000
The Guinness World Record for most social media mentions in a single day was broken last week by the #BeatCancer Campaign, which generated 209,771 online mentions in 24 hours; the campaign also raised $70,000 in donations from financial sponsors [eBay/PayPal and MillerCoors donated 1 cent for every tweet, Facebook status update, or blog post containing the #beatcancer hashtag]
Source: Mashable.com, 10/19/09

Create a 'Simpsons' character -- and it may get on the show
Ever dream of hanging with Homer? The creators of The Simpsons are asking fans to create their own character for the show – the coolest character’s creator will be flown to L.A. to help design the animation, which will be featured in the January 31 episode along with Coldplay’s Chris Martin
Source: USA Today – Pop Candy, 10/20/09

How to save your reputation from an online onslaught
A recent article in The Financial Times lists ways to survive a social media crisis; tips include acting quickly, utilizing traditional and non-traditional (social) media and setting up an internal communication plan prior to a crisis (login required)
Source: The Financial Times Online, 10/16/09

Coca-Cola campaign sends 3 bloggers around world
To promote the “Open Happiness” campaign, Coca-Cola is sending three bloggers to 206 countries – the three participants, chosen through online vote, will blog, tweet  and post while traveling the world, meeting new people, attending major events (like the Winter Olympics) and sharing the love of Coca-Cola
Source: Associated Press via Forbes, 10/21/09

Celebrate the Windows 7 launch with a 5-inch-tall Whopper
To celebrate “Windows 7 day,” the launch of the newest Microsoft operating system, Burger King restaurants in Japan sold “Windows 7 Whoppers” – a regular Whopper sandwich with 7 patties and a $17 price tag; in the US, the launch was celebrated in a more “animal friendly” way with midnight store openings
Source: Gadling, 10/22/09

P&G looking for bathroom bloggers
Charmin is looking for five TP lovers to spend five weeks in a Charmin branded bathroom and share their “experience” with others – requirements for the $10,000 position include greeting thousands of bathroom guests, posting on the “Enjoy the Go ” Charmin-branded Web site and social media sites and sharing family-friendly video; to auditions for the position will take place on November 5 at the New York Hilton
Source: Business Courier of Cincinnati, 10/22/09

Mom not pulling her weight? Just get another one, from Kleenex
Kleenex has launched a new microsite, Get Mommed, which allows users to pick a new “Mom” to take care of them and offer helpful advice during the cold and flu season; users can visit the Get Mommed website and take a quiz to see which virtual “mom” would be their best match – login is required to participate
Source: Brandfreak, 10/22/09

Google, Microsoft's Bing to Include Twitter in Search
Announced Wednesday, Twitter posts will now be included in Google and Microsoft Bing search results
Source: Advertising Age Online, 10/22/09

Your online photos could be product placements
Udorse is a “visual endorsement engine” which allows users to “endorse” products in their uploaded photos by adding tags that link to the product’s website – users will receive money (approximately $5 -$10 per month) for each person who clicks through to the product site; tagged products must be one of Udorse’s partners to receive compensation
Source: MSNBC Online, 10/08/09

Green walls taking root in green building design
PNC Bank has installed a living billboard on the side of their headquarters in Pittsburgh – the “green wall” is made up of 15,000+ plants arranged to look like the PNC Logo; according to the bank, their 2,400 sq ft installment is the largest in North America and will help to remove pollutants from the surrounding air
Source: Associated Press via Yahoo! News, 10/12/09

Why Email No Longer Rules…
According to The Wall Street Journal, e-mail is “over” and the future of communication is in social media; the article attributes the change to the consumer’s ability to access the internet – when access revolved around logging on, e-mail was the best way to receive information, but now that users are connected 24/7, the speed of social networks is more ideal for instant communication
Source: The Wall Street Journal Online, 10/12/09

FedEx drop-off boxes would love to chat with you about Nascar
FedEx wants you to know they are fast and they have enlisted the help of Nascar’s Denny Hamlin to spread the word – 700+ FedEx drop boxes have been enhanced with a sound chip that share a special message from Hamlin when opened
Source: BrandFreak, 10/13/09

Kellogg's will use laser to burn logo on to individual corn flakes to stamp out fakes
In an effort to set themselves apart from store-brand corn flake cereals, Kellogg’s has announced that they will laser print their logo on each individual flake of their Corn Flakes cereal
Source: Daily Mail Online (UK), 10/13/09

Seth Green isn't angry -- but how do his fans feel?
A “behind the scenes” video released this week revealed an angry Seth Green flipping a table over a stolen Butterfinger bar; the freak-out was revealed as a fake by Butterfinger, who created it as part of a new viral campaign, housed at www.DudeWheresMyBar.com
Source: USA Today – Pop Candy, 10/14/09

Schwan's will do everything but spoon the food into your mouth
Schwan’s, a home-food-delivery service is giving away free sample meals as a part of their “Let’s stick a fork in the recession,” campaign – the first 500,000 new customers to visit their site can choose one of their ready-made meals, priced at a wallet-friendly $10 or less
Source: Brandfreak, 10/14/09

Wild Things invade NYC in celebration of the Warner Bros. movie
NYC & Company has launched “Wild Thing Week” in New York City to celebrate
the new movie Where the Wild Things Are – special events throughout the week included exhibits, celebrity appearances and the renaming of Greenwich Ave
and Christopher Street, which were changed to Maurice Sendak Way and Wild Things Way
Source: Brandfreak, 10/15/09

Twitter in the wine business for charity
Twitter has partnered with Crushpad, an amateur wine producer, to create its own wine – part of the proceeds of the Twitter branded Pinot Nior and Chardonnay will go to Room to Read, a non-profit that promotes child literacy in third-world countries; to get involved with the campaign, dubbed the Fledgling Initiative, follow @fledgling
Source: Wine Brands, 10/16/09

Massive paint fight for Samsung Corby
A 200-person giant paint fight was staged in Sao Paulo to launch the Samsung Corby S3650 phone – the 40 minute brawl used 2,000 liters of paint and took 12 fire trucks 3 days to clean up
Source: USA Today – Pop Candy, 10/16/09

McDonald's lets customers write billboard slogans
McDonalds is asking consumers to pick two words to describe the new Angus Third Pounder – 1,750 of the best slogans to date were posted on programmable billboards around Kansas City on September 24; the article provides details on how the program was developed, and how much it cost
Source: Nation’s Restaurant News Online, 10/01/09

Ford Fiesta Movement: Can Social Media Sell Cars?
To launch the new Fiesta compact car, Ford launched a grassroots social media campaign – 100 social media savvy consumers were given the new model and asked to share their experience on Twitter, Facebook, blogs etc.; after six months, the campaign has generated 4.3 million YouTube views, 500,000+ Flickr views, more than 3 million Twitter impressions and a ROI of 50,000 consumers who are interested in buying, 97% of which are not Ford owners
Source: Mashable.com, 10/02/09

Bravo Gustavo: Play Music Director
The LA Philharmonic has created a microsite called “Bravo Gustavo” where users can conduct the orchestra alongside newly appointed Music Director Gustavo Dudamel; users press the A, S, D and F keys on their keyboard to make the appropriate section play – the application is also available for iPhone
Source: Adverblog.com, 10/03/09

New FTC rules screw Jared, Bowflex granny
Sorry Jared, the FTC has set new guidelines for testimonials, making it illegal to post “Results not typical” under the claims of its endorsers; such rules make weight loss by sandwiches a thing of the past
Source: AdFreak.com, 10/04/09

50 Great Voices: Send Us Your Nominations
All Voices Considered – from 10/5 to 10/16, NPR is asking listeners to weigh in on who has/had the most “beautiful, singular voice you have ever heard”; NPR will use the submissions for a year-long segment on the 50 best voices in broadcast history
Source: NPR Online, 10/05/09

Grab your jug, ditch your dignity, and lead the Carlo Rossi Posse
Calling all jug-o-wine fans, Carlo Rossi wine is looking for someone who embodies all the characteristics of Carlo Rossi –honest, sincere and unchanged for 40 years – to “lead the Carlo Rossi Posse”; to enter, users must submit a 100-word essay explaining why they should lead the posse, and can win a $10,000 den makeover
Source: BrandFreak.com, 10/05/09

Birds Vs Humans
Adverblog received a personalized toolbox press kit containing creepy photos, a bird’s nest, feathers, eggs and bark – the only clue to the actual purpose behind the kit was a “Blair Witch Project” looking teaser video and a tag that said “more to follow”; this is a great example of the kind of creative mailer that gets the media talking
Source: Adverblog.com, 10/07/09

Piano Stairs Are A Musical Alternative To The Escalator (Video)
As part of a new campaign, “The Fun Theory”, Volkswagen transformed a subway staircase into a piano – placing sensors on the staircase that made sound when stepped on – as an experiment to see if they could get people to take the stairs over an adjacent escalator by making the stairs more fun; the video leads to a teaser site where users can enter their e-mail address to be notified when the campaign launches
Source: Urlesque.com, 10/07/09

World's Largest Cupcake Just Got Bigger
As seen on USA Today’s Pop Candy blog, the record for the World’s Largest Cupcake has been broken again – Big Top Cupcakes, a company who makes giant cupcake molds, sponsored the creation of the 1,316-pound confection as a part of the Think Pink Rocks breast cancer campaign
Source: Slashfood.com, 10/06/09

Best Buy wants your scariest, most obsolete gadget or appliance
This Halloween, Best Buy is asking consumers to send in pictures of their most terrifyingly old electronic device or appliance – to enter, participants must submit a photo and a 140-word caption about their outdated technology, the winner will be named on Halloween and will receive a new home theater and a $2,500 Best Buy gift card; the contest is includes a “scary” YouTube video which features Zelda Rubinstien, from Poltergeist
Source: BrandFreak.com, 10/07/09

Hungry Jack thinks inside the box for its latest promotion
Ever wonder what to do with a half-box of pancake mix? Hungry Jack has launched a new website, UseUpTheBox.com, where consumers are challenged to make culinary creations out of the half-used items in their pantry – the consumer with the most delicious and creative recipe wins a year of groceries
Source: BrandFreak.com, 09/25/09

Oz Yourself
To celebrate the 70th anniversary of The Wizard of OZ, Netflix has created an application which allows users to “Oz Themselves” by superimposing their face on the Scarecrow while he sings “If I Only Had a Brain” Click here to Oz Yourself
Source: Yesbutnobutyes.com, 09/26/09

Starbucks Marketing Push for Via Begins With Taste Tests
Starbucks has launched a new advertising and marketing campaign for Via, their new instant-coffee product; the coffee giant has invited consumers to participate in the Starbucks Via Taste Challenge by visiting one of their 7,500 locations from 10/2 – 10/5 to see if they can tell the difference between Via and fresh brewed coffee
Source: AdAge.com, 09/28/09

Holiday Inn may be out of key cards when you check in...
To celebrate the relaunch of the Holiday Inn brand, the hotel chain has created the "Key Card Hotel," an entire hotel lobby and room out of stacked room keys  – consumers are invited to visit the creation at Chelsea Piers in NYC; a mini documentary of the building process has posted on YouTube
Source: BrandflakesforBreakfast.com, 09/29/09

How to get free tickets to Disneyland and Disney World in 2010
“Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” – Disney Parks has announced that they will give away 1 million free park tickets to people who give a day of volunteer service in 2010
Source: Los Angeles Times Online, 09/29/09

The 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair Poll
CBS and Vanity Fair have release the results of the first in a series of monthly polls gauging American’s feelings on current issues; this month’s survey revealed that Wal-Mart is viewed as the chain that best represents America, that Twitter is a “fad that will fade” and that most women would gladly trade places with Michelle Obama
Source: Vanity Fair Magazine Online , 09/27/09

KFC restaurants feed homeless
KFC temporarily transformed two of their Louisville locations into food kitchens and fed local shelter residents; this was the first of several local closures to take place in October as an effort to raise awareness for the KFC World Hunger Relief Funds
Source: Louisville Courier-Journal Online, 09/29/09

Expense It
Can’t afford a steak dinner? High-end steakhouse Maloney & Porcelli has developed a tool to help patrons expense their meals by transforming dinner bills into faux receipts from generic retailers
Source: Adverblog.com, 10/01/09

Coke does consumer contest fresh
Coca-Cola is searching for people who can imitate the noise of a can of coke for their next commercial; users are encouraged to submit videos of their soda skills and remix other submissions to make their own memes (humorous viral content passed from one user to another)
Source: BrandflakesforBreakfast.com, 10/01/09

Michael Moore holds free 'Capitalism' screenings tonight
Michael Moore is holding advanced screenings of his new documentary Capitalism: A Love Story in U.S. cities with the highest unemployment and foreclosure rates and offering free admission to people who have been hurt by the recession
Source: USA Today – Pop Candy, 10/01/09

Weather Channel gives 'Meatballs' forecasts
To promote the new movie Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, the Weather Channel did a special forecast for Chewandswallow, a fictional town from the movie where food rains down from the sky instead of weather elements
Source: AdFreak.com, 09/21/09

Big Brother Billboard Offers Oil Recommendations
Castrol has created interactive billboards that tell drivers which motor oil they should be using. Cameras on the side of the road capture the passing car’s license plate number and use the vehicle registration to identify the make and model of car, and then posts the recommended motor oil on a billboard down the road
Source: AdRants, 09/21/09

Crest Grabs Seacrest. Results Less Than Believable
Crest has enlisted Ryan Seacrest as their new spokesperson –
note the name tie-in, SeaCREST
Source: AdRants, 09/21/09

Fake New York Post draws attention to global warming
Activist group Yes Men has struck again – on Monday, the “prankster” organization distributed faux copies of the New York Post which donned the headline “We’re Screwed” to bring attention to global climate change; the Post commented on the prank saying that it had “none of the wit and insight” of the paper, but praised the group for their choice of paper, saying that “they figured this time they'd choose a paper people actually love to read” – a jab at Yes Men’s November 2008 target, The New York Times
Source: The Associated Press, 09/21/09

Google Doodle Mystery Solved: Happy Birthday, H.G. Wells
Mystery solved – Google’s crop circle logos were posted to celebrate the birthday of legendary sci-fi writer H.G. Wells
Source: ABC News Online, 09/21/09

Little Debbie Does Dallas (No Really, It's Part of the Promotion)
To promote their newest confection, Little Debbie has launched a multi-media campaign including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, traditional advertising, blogger outreach and a multi-city cupcake giveaway tour, with the chance to win one of two Smart cars wrapped as Little Debbie cupcakes
Source: AdRants, 09/22/09

Look up! It's the world's tallest man
As seen on USA Today’s Pop Candy Blog, Sultan Kosen of Turkey was recently named the world’s tallest man by the Guinness Book of World Records – he is 8 feet and 1 inch
Source: USA Today - Pop Candy, 09/23/09

Is Wikipedia a Victim of Its Own Success?
A recent article in "TIME Magazine" discusses the growth of Wikipedia; according to Ed Chi of the Palo Alto Research Center, the user-generated encyclopedia may disappear within the next 10 years
Source: TIME Magazine Online, 09/23/09

Sparks launches milk campaign
American Idol Jordin Sparks is now rocking a milk moustache – the star is asking America’s youth to send in milk moustache pictures to help raise awareness for music education; the Drink Milk For A Change campaign will donate a dollar to the VH1 Save The Music Foundation for every submission
Source: The Press Association, 09/24/09

Subway Set to Overtake McD's in Omnipresence
Subway is predicted become the world’s largest fast-food chain – the present leader, McDonalds, currently operates more than 32,158 restaurants world-wide but Subway is right on the heels of the golden arches with 31,800 locations around the world
Source: Advertising Age Online, 09/21/09