campaigns
Metal City: interactive universe promoting a metal band’s new CD
Apr 12th
Population: Declining is the new album of a Canadian metal band. For its launch the band’s decided to go bigger than just Myspace. On their behalf, interactive company Grand created HailtheVillain.com, which lets you sneak a peek into the band’s imaginary universe.
Here is a demo vid outlining most of website’s features.
Hail The Villain from Grand Creative on Vimeo.
Hail the Villain is an interactive exploration of a fictional city named Metal City. Horrific human vices play out graphic novel-style as you are investigating an accident that happened in the city.
Of course it is nicest to play with your headphones on. While you struggle to figure out the point-and-click action, Hail the Villain’s ambient music plays in the background, adding a sense of film-noir to the drama. You also have the option to explore with webcam on/off, though it is not clear to me why you need this.
During the gameplay you can dig in everywhere to find out more clues; don’t miss accessing the radio if you want to check out samples of the band’s new tunes.
There surely is a lot to do in Metal City. However, if this experience is too immersive for you and you just want tour dates, merchandise, all this is available on the home page, where you can choose whether to enter Metal City or not.
Don’t miss to check out the website, even if you are not a metal fan, i am not, too, but this is not the point. I certainly give major creativity points to Grand for the interactive experience they created.
Are you, people, ready to give up on oil as you gave up on Nestle’s KitKat?
Mar 30th
So here is another take on the Greenpeace vs. Nestle KitKat drama that’s been taking place recently.
I just kept on waiting for someone to speak out of common sense on Nestle’s fan page in Facebook and it finally happened!
Earlier today Michal Marcinik – person that i do not know and have never heard of, certainly not a PR, media guru or some agency representative – spoke out, in the cleanest and most honest voice possible – ” Anyone of you have thought that you are being a little bit FOOLED by Greenpeace? Why they have not chosen f.e. LIDL, Boots, Danone or E.Leclerc to HIT AT? Those companies are much WORSE than Nestle. I would ask Greenpeace who HAVE PAID for that kind of ATTACK?”. The author of the post goes even further: “… I wonder how many of those here are without ANY fault? How many of them turn off the water while brushing teeth? How many turn off the light while its not used or any AC equipment? How many of you guys go from time to time to work by bike? Look at yourself people first, and sometimes think a little bit deeper about what it is being published and why… Dont just believe everything you are given, just because it is “eco-friendly”. ”
Since Nestle’s fan page is pretty overloaded with comments, here is also a screen shot for this post and the following comments:
Now… this case is certainly not about “true or false”, at least it has not yet come to my attention if Nestle deny using palm oil. The case here is rather about common sense and people’s tending ability to lose it at times and act shallow.
Is it possible that Nestle is the only corporation that does harm to our environment – of course not, and i bet it is not the corporation that harms it most. Would not you look at yourself as a consumer or you just need time for that …until Greenpeace points its finger at you? Are YOU doing your best to save and protect our environment? Would you give up on gas and oil and leave your car parked home so that you save our atmosphere some exhausted fumes?
And even further… can you guess what is the primary reason for rainforests to become dead flatlands and for orangutans’ extinction? It is again YOU – because you are the consumer that palm oil is actually sold to, so that you can safely enjoy your chocolate bars during lunch-break for example. Do you want a reason for wars? It is you again, because world’s economy is driven by oil and you, as a consumer, are a huge part of it. Nestle as well as other corporations and even governments, harm our environment because of you. Accept this and think about it.
On another note, wouldn’t you at least ask yourself the question – who are Greenpeace, beside your general shallow idea that they are “good people”, just because they are “green” ?
Here is a little teaser for you – back in 2006 Greenpeace released a report on “Guide to Green Electronics”. Since this is a topic, as expected, this is Greenpeace after all, dealing with big brands, there were people who questioned their report and responded by proving that Greenpeace’s report was “misleading and incompetent”. The analysis of the report is very interesting and i highly recommend you to read it. You can find it HERE.
And here is a little more about Greenpeace – opinion based on true, undeniable facts. It is up to your decision whether you should take their words, actions and initiatives as ultimately genuine and ethically driven as they appear.
“Greenpeace has worked to create awareness of important environmental issues since the 1970′s, but their methods, accuracy, and effectiveness have ranged from controversial to comical, to scandalous. Greenpeace activism is based upon simplification of complex political issues into epic battles between good and evil. Rather than devoting a lot of resources into educating the public, Greenpeace, like most political activist groups, tries to create sensationalist drama to grab attention and put simplistic issues in the headlines. This is pretty commonplace in politics; however, Greenpeace has an established history of playing fast and loose with facts in order to intensify their stories, and in some cases their pursuits’ careless disregard for the truth has caused more damage than the evil they attempted to target.”
– quoted from Roughly Drafted
–
I for sure know that people are now more irritated by the fact that Nestle do not respond to their voice rather than by their usage of palm oil, but it was high time somebody had said this. And, people, if you really want to look at the real picture of things, for your common sense’s sake, watch this move: The Corporation.
InternetOnlineWebsite.com – no more having to explain your uncle what is SEO
Mar 24th
It may sound strange to most of you, but there are still people out there that wonder: “How do they make all that Internet? And how do i get some?” Well, there are plenty of people struggling with such questions since the dawn of the Internet. For this reason The Barbarian Group teamed up with Aquent, America’s best talent sourcing agency, to create the InternetOnlineWebsite.com project.
So what is it… beside a catchy URL…
In short InternetOnlineWebsite.com is a website about websites. It has been created with the idea to educate, enlighten and delight those who are looking to add to their online presence and marketing efforts.
Does this sound familiar to you – “I need this same thing on my website, but i dont know how to get it, where to get it, or even what it’s called! THERE’S GOT TO BE A BETTER WAY!”
So, don’t fred any more! InternetOnlineWebsite.com knows what “it’s called. InternetOnlineWebsite.com is designed with the most frequently used features of today’s popular websites, and lets you discover more about these features – what they are called, why you need them, and most importantly, who you need to get them created.
Clicking on objects at InternetOnlineWebsite.com will bring up Aquent’s pop-up orange box where you can read descriptions about what the thing is for, why you need it and who you need to hire in order to accomplish it.
And there is more!
InternetOnlineWebsite.com is not just about websites. It also addresses other helpful aspects of one’s successful online presence, like marketing campaigns including:
- Mobile Internet Online Sites
- Send to a friend E-Cards
- Sharing on all of the most popular online social places
- Flash Videos
- Direct Mail Items
- Promotional T-Shirts
So here it is – no more struggling with technical jargon and no more having to explain your uncle what SEO is – no more Internet Anxiety Disorder. And it is FREE! Check it out.
Brands and agencies wish you a Merry Christmas (and so do I:)
Dec 24th
At the end of every year brands and agencies wish us happy holidays. As at the end of last year, the BannerBlog published a list of christmas greetings. Here are some of them:
And my personal favorite:
I hope you enjoyed these : ) And i really hope that all of you have a great Christmas and New Year. I wish all of your dreams come true in 2010!
The Social Media Addicts Association :)
Nov 18th
If you happen to be a social media addict, this is for you. Check out the Social Media Addicts Association (SMAA) website, a funny, but yet artificial community that Sony invented to promote the Sony Vaio Mini W-series. Very well thought and unique, we find a series of videos parodying the compulsive and excessive use of Twitter and Facebook. To cure the addiction these poor little souls have a serious five-year plan!
- Admit you have a problem, dont tweet it!
- Accept to not validate or comment on a status to feel that you exist.
- Understand that poking a stranger is dangerous.
Repeat: “Alchohol and Twitter do not mix well.” : )
Remove one friend a day.
In the same manner, the website also offers its help to cure your addiction by watching video testimonials and confessions by other addicts. And even better, to share your struggle, they even have a web store selling SMAA t-shirts.
If the addict has still not recovered, after having covered all that is needed, then they can continue their addiction using the new Sony Vaio Mini W-series! This is quite an aggressive advertising message, but it worked for Sony. Sony highlights with a great deal of humor the place of social media in our lives and the risk of addiction that can be caused by excessive use. The campaign is nothing too original for a giant technology company such as Sony, but it is creating buzz by mocking the excessive praise social media gets. At the same time, Sony mock the cold seriousness of the social media critics with its Social Media Addicts Association.
10 tips to increase your Twitter followers
Oct 20th
Kevin Rose, a founder of Digg, co-founder of Revision 3 and Pownce, as well as investor in Twitter, has just published his tips to getting more followers on Twitter. With over 1,167,000 followers he is the most followed user of Twitter after Barack Obama.
So here are his tips:
1. Explain your followers what retweeting is and encourage them to retweet your links.
This will promote your username not only in Twitter, but all across social networks. Further, you can follow your retweets using the Retweetist software.
2. Fill out your Bio (adequately).
This will allow people that you do not know to learn a little about you. This field is also published on the “suggested users” Twitter page. A blank or inadequate bio will eventually discourage people from following you.
3. Post links to your Twitter profile EVERYWHERE!
Post links to your Twitter profile on Digg, LinkedIn, Facebook, in your blog, in your email signature and all your other online profiles. You can also use TwitterCounter widget for your blog. It is much like the FeedBurner counter.
4. Tweet about your passions in life and #hashtag them.
The use of #hashtags helps users to find content and thus people with similar interests more easily. If people like your content they will follow you.
5. Bring your Twitter account into the real world.
Push your Twitter profile in your presentations, podcasts, business cards…
6. Take pictures.
Photos are easily shared on Twitter. Those of the US Airways flights that landed in the Hudson were viewed over 350,000 times. Also use iPhone apps such as Tweetie or Twitterific for photos taken on your mobile.
7. Start a contest.
@jasoncalacanis promised to offer a Macbook Air if he became the most followed person on Twitter. He did not succeed in becoming number 1, but this strategy allowed him to gain several thousand of followers.
8. Follow the top Twitter users and watch what they tweet about.
Notice how they address their audience and what kind of content they tweet about. But never copy them!
9. Get involved in #hashtag chats.
On search.twitter.com you will find a list of the hottest current Twitter topics. Join the conversation and use the #hashtags in your tweets.
10. Monitor your results (of course)
The TwitterCounter tool allows you to know how many new followers you acquire every day. Quitter notifies you if someone unfollows you after and after which of your tweets.
You need to realize, though, that increase in number of followers is not a goal in itself. There are many tools, which i really do not approve of, that will generate you thousands of followers quickly, but it is actually better to have 100 followers only that are actually interested in what you tweet, than to have thousands of followers that do not even read your tweets. However, integrated in a larger strategy, the tips recommended by Kevin Rose can be really useful. Please, do not hesitate to comment about your own thoughts and experience on this subject.
Etsy – the 2.0 purchasing experience – a helping hand to craftsmen online
Oct 15th
In the previous post i told you about the idea to make your competitors irrelevant and to not compete! This idea is also know as Blue Ocean marketing strategy. I’ll post about it in details soon, but here is a good example of what i meant by sharing this idea with you.
Everybody knows Ebay. Few are the people, however, who are aware of the existence of a totally different e-commerce platform – Etsy. These two platforms offer consumers two completely different models of online purchasing. While Ebay is known to be the 2.0 leader for years, Etsy is progressively establishing itself as an e-commerce model in total rupture with Ebay’s.
Etsy is all about hand crafted goods. In a world entirely dominated by mass and serially produced goods, Etsy is a helping hand towards craftsmen. Thus this platform can be supported by a community of 300,000 members and 26,000 sellers! Impressive, isn’t it? Web buyers, of course, recognize the richness of function and symbolism superior to that of Ebay.
The reasons for the success of Etsy are found when looking into the platform’s user experience on which it is positioned – selling crafted goods. Also Etsy offers very original search interface, organized by colour, time and connections. There is a huge editorial effort brought by a very doog blog and Editor’s Pick – interviews of craftsmen and artists.
Currently Etsy is the only sales platform that offers such a purchasing experience, thanks to the method that gives a predominant place to a more individualized communication between buyers and sellers. This proximity differs greatly from the secured “fortress: of Ebay and lets buyers and sellers develop a more personal relationship.
Numerous are the distinctions from Ebay and are more than enough to affirm Etsy’s quality and to affirm its true value against Ebay. Etsy’s members have a feeling of belonging to a community, to a different and more authentic econimic system. Lastly, Etsy launched the Handmade Movement video contest where members could express what Etsy means to them.







