friday flakes episode eight
Today's Friday Flakes is hosted by David, Justus and Darryl. In this week's episode, we talk about:
+ Gummy week at Plaid
+ Sara's doctor says he hates Plaid
+ The opportunity of a lifetime: your potential job at plaid.
In this week at BrandFlakesForBreakfast, we chat about:
+ Darryl oddly defends Ashton Kutcher as Dave questions his existence
+ How guys look stupid on Facebook (make sure it doesn't happen to you!!)
+ Giving up Facebook for God.
In the World of Social Media, we chat about:
+ How people tweeted the Oscars
+ Obama's State of the Nation that was not a State of the Union but did include an awesome Facebook/CNN mashup.
Since we completely spaced on it last week, we offer two Tips O' the Week:
1. Google's new Google Calendar/iPhone integration
2. Don't say Backslash.
Note: we didn't realize until posting this video, that Justus pretty much just sat on the couch and hung out during the show. (Speak up, Justus!!)
Have a great weekend!
NASA exploring social media
NASA has a bunch of fun links for you to explore, as they delve into the uncharted worlds of social media. They now have a Flickr site, Facebook presence, uStream feed, and about a kabillion Twitter feeds. Lots of fun content to explore.
As a taxpayer, I would like to demand that they clean up the space station. The space scientist girl pictured above clearly has no problem living in what looks like a messy dorm room. The Flickr photo feed has proven that we've sent a bunch of slobs into space. I say clean it up.
From Make the Logo Bigger
who's really on facebook
Here's a fun look at who is really using the internet's more popular social media sites. From CoryObrien.
ashton kutcher: redefining celebrity?
I have to admit that I was skeptical when I heard that Ashton Kutcher was on Twitter. (And his wife is there too.) But after following his tweets, I've changed my tune.
What's pretty cool is that they're actually using it. They didn't assign a crew of their interns or publicists to spam us with a feed of useless Hollywood Ashton news. Nope. They're actually tweeting. Actual people...connecting with their fans. And they're even using it to accomplish good things.
Some would even say that they're redefining celebrity. I think so. Fans have a constant curiosity about artists and celebrities - and here's a way to share their lives in a way that was never possible before - while maintaining "artistic control." Hollywood: pay attention.
ronald mcdonald like you've always imagined
Rejoice, because someone has traveled the internets and assembled the top 20 most terrifying photos of Ronald McDonald. All for you.
how to turn your twitter stream into a waterfall
Remember the days before the internet, or Twitter, where you would go outdoors? And maybe you would even take a hike, and view a beautiful waterfall?
Well, worry no more. Now you can turn your twitter stream into a waterfall, and never leave your computer. A waterfall of tweets.
Thanks to Twitterfall, you can now picnic in front of a constantly flowing fall of data. I imagine people getting married in front of it, and people putting their tweets in barrels. Awesome.
We're hiring: the best job in the entire world
It's true.
The greatest agency in all of the land is looking for the greatest Project Manager/Producer/Master-controller-of-the-universe.
We're not big on titles, but some agencies might call this a Project Manager. Or Office Manager. Or Producer. We like to call it the glue that holds us together.
You'll be working with our creative team, working with our clients and working with our partners to be sure we deliver spectacular creative on time, on budget and with everyone smiling.
What it's all about:
Manage all aspects of projects for a super fantastic creative firm.
Interact with (mostly cool) clients, (totally cool) creatives and (awesome) partners from around the country.
Get stuff done.
Get stuff done on time.
Get stuff done on budget.
You totally rock because:
You're a great communicator, with fantastic people skills, and organization/planning skills that would make our heads explode. You might even have previous agency experience, or interactive experience. You likely have an understanding of the production process relative to a design and brand firm. And you'd be even more awesome if you're already on Facebook or Twitter.
Work at the best agency ever created by humans.
+ Open office, open books. No politics. For real.
+ Really fun, collaborative and energetic work environment.
+ Half day Fridays in the summertime, planning trips to fun places, and an office Segway.
+ 100% paid health benefits, 401(k) plan, and super aggressive profit sharing.
(Must be willing to work in our CT office, located in the grayest state in the union, where it's cold during the winter and the skies are usually not always sunny. But everything else rocks.)
Send your details to darryl AT thinkplaid DOT com, with "greatest job in the world" in the subject line.
i had oatmeal for breakfast
Overheard just about every single day:
John Doe - “I hate Twitter”
Jamie - “Why?”
John Doe - “I don’t want to know what somebody ate for breakfast!”
Pass this to your best friend "John Doe" who still says "I've tried Twitter...and I don't get it." Some friendly tips on how Twitter is only as good (or as bad) as you make it. From Jesse Newhart
available online for free
Evan Roth, founder of the Graffiti Research Lab, has published a new book titled AVAILABLE ONLINE FOR FREE. The book features some of Evan's best and totally inspiring work from 2003 - 2008.
As you might expect, it's available online. For free.
someone who would enjoy a michael phelps endorsement
Check out the stickers that have made their way through the streets of Calgary. It's a Michael Phelps endorsement...without the official endorsement, for a hemp shop. Great idea.
where great ideas go to die
Adrants has launched a fun project called KilledIdeas. You know - the concepts that your client didn't buy into, that your boss said were too risque, that you didn't have the media budget to support.
Submit your awesome, grand, but killed ideas and the Adrants factory will take the best of the best, and publish a book. Yeah - one of those things made of paper. This will look great on your coffee table, and even better if you could say "dude, check out page 56. That's my concept."
the first status update on a business card
This is a super hot idea for a business card. Kim Bost has created a card that instantly connects, makes a statement, and is flexible for the way she's feeling or the person she's meeting.
Awesome idea that you wish you thought of.
giving up facebook for god
Lots of Christians have a big holiday coming up. And many of them will be giving up something as a sacrifice, for Lent. Many are predicted to give up Facebook. (Gah!!)
If you fall into this category - be responsible. This isn't like giving up Girl Scout cookies. You can't leave all of your Facebook friends wondering what happened to you. Cnet has the ultimate guide to giving up Facebook, for lent. It would be a good idea to listen to their suggestions.
Alternately, maybe you could just give up something really easy to live without. Like alligator wrestling, or motor oil baths. But I suppose that defeats the purpose.
the government is not watching you.
Or, at least not from your cable box. There's been a conspiracy theory going around that the government is putting cameras in the DTV converters that they're giving away as a part of the DTV switch.
Software Engineer Adam Chronister decided to have a little fun with that, and made a video "exposing" the camera. As you might imagine, it quickly went viral and fueled the conspiracy theories. He's since come out with his story - which you can now read at Wired.
little people on keychains
Cute spot about a Belgian non-profit that raises money for third-world farmers by selling keychains. With little people.
churches with a sense of humor
Guidespot has an awesome collection of fun church signs.
It goes to show that regardless of what business you're in, it's ok to have a sense of humor. And that humor can help you stand out and get attention. Wherever you might be, or whatever you might be promoting. Nice.
mint: don't be jealous of us
Mint, the uber-awesome online budget and personal finance tool is growing fast. They announced recently that they're gaining 3,000 new users a day.
That's apparently a lot faster than the tool from Quicken. So the dudes at Quicken sent the people at Mint a letter, trying to get details. The whole thing blew up and made Quicken look like sore losers. Oh, the world of online finance.
research: people have actually clicked on banner ads
It's true. The Internet Advertising Bureau has done studies. And they've concluded that if you want people to click on your ad, you're better off being visible later in the afternoon or evening.
All of the details are neatly summarized on News from the Herd.
(Photo has absolutely nothing to do with anything, but makes Matt, Renato, Bill and Ryan look really cool.)
what it's like to be the comcast dude on twitter
You're tweeting. You get what it's like to be tweeting. But your boss is one of those dudes that needs a new article pushed in front of his face every day, showing the value of tweeting. "When BusinessWeek can show me how Twitter can be used in business, then maybe I'll believe this tweeting stuff."
Here you go. BusinessWeek details what it's like to be the dude from Comcast on Twitter. Not that you'll learn anything here - just send it to your boss. From the Consumerist.
friday flakes episode seven
Today's Friday Flakes is hosted by David, RJ and Darryl. In this week's episode, we talk about:
+ How Plaidsters spent President's Day weekend
+ Plaid's summer tour planning has begun!
+ We're planning routes across the midwest, looking for cities to visit and sponsors to be a part of the team
In the World of Social Media, we chat about:
+ The Facebook terms of service fiasco
+ People smarter than Darryl
+ Dave mentions orgy photos, and makes us uncomfortable
In this week at BrandFlakesForBreakfast, we chat about:
+ 99 Things you should have already experienced on the internet
+ 100 Dances to 100 songs in 100 places
We also nearly forgot (but ultimately remembered) to talk about those stupid Facebook memes like 30 best albums of all time, or 25 things about you.
Have a great weekend!
because you're a baller.
Hooray! Another social network!! Check out Clikball. You add the ball to your browser, and click it when you find cool stuff. And instantly share it with other Clikballers.
Added bonus: you can tell your friends that you're a member of the Clikballers, and they'll think you're in an internet gang. (We need headbands, and leather jackets with the Clikball logo.)
I was originally skeptical about adding yet another social network - but then I found The 20 male poses on Facebook. Mmmmm, internet goodness, found on Clikball. From Josh Spear.
every website should have a knob like this.
(This is really just a lazy excuse to post about the Beastie Boys on BrandFlakes.)
Check out the Beastie Boys site for the re-release of Paul's Boutique - it's got a volume knob. Only it doesn't control the volume - but instead controls the amount of stuff on the page.
I want this for CNN, with preferences that allow me to tune out stuff that's not within my interests. Genius.
how a coffee shop let twitter double it's clientele
Looking for another great example of how to use Twitter in your small business? Check out this story about a coffee shop that used Twitter to double their business.
And guess what - it's all about building relationships and fostering community. Something a coffee shop knows a little something about. Pass this to your friend that owns a small business. From Brand Aid.
films using the internet for fun and profit
Some people in Hollywood are really starting to get it. There's a couple of new films that have totally harnessed the power of the internets to produce as much online entertainment as on the screen.
Coraline should be written as the new case study in blogger outreach and online promotion. If their blogger boxes weren't enough...there's the Bobinsky blog (Thanks, Liz!) And the Bobinsky calls your friends site. Or see your name in mice.
And there's the new Terminator movie. They've already launched the site for Skynet Research (thanks, Michael!) and the movie hasn't even finished shooting!
What's working:
+ Building buzz looong in advance of release
+ Multiple online properties (one microsite is no longer a healthy promotion)
+ Giving people the tools to use things in their own way
+ Specific promotions geared to the multiple audiences
How could you do the same with your brand?
sometimes you get what you pay for
If you've ever looked at your design firm and said "What???? For a logo??? I could get a logo designed on the internet for $50!!" well then you'll love this little logo design experiment.
Jim Walls, a creative director at 160over90, has published the details of his adventures with 50DollarLogo.com. $50 should have delivered six logo designs, unlimited revisions and a 1 - 3 day turnaround. It's been a year, and he's still going. Funny. From LogoDesignLove.
how cute animals might use your cell phone
Samsung has a new phone with a big, sweet screen. What better way to demonstrate its awesomeness than with a video devoted to how 38 cute animals might utilize such a screen of wonder?
the internet is now complete
As Dabitch says, it was bound to happen. Maybe it needed to happen. Whatever the reason...it happened. And now we can all rejoice and enjoy the super fine collection of Headset Hotties. Yes, a blog devoted to capturing the cheezy sexy photos of girls in headsets.
I imagine that Sham WOW Vince is behind this, in some twisted way. Do you think that Vince and his headset hotties wear headsets when they're at home? In the shower? At restaurants?
100 days/songs/locations/dances.
100 days, 100 songs, 100 locations, 100 dances. Why ask why? Isn't the internet your favorite place, ever??
From Kevin Rose, via Twitter.
businesses on twitter
Twibs looks to be the ultimate list of all businesses and brands on Twitter. Conveniently organized alphabetically or by followers.
Send this link to your boss who says "The internet is a dangerous place. We have no business on places like Twitter." From Bub.blicio.us.
how to end the depressicession
Duct Tape Marketing is sponsoring what looks to be a really cool marketing program. Make a Referral Week asks you to commit to making a referral to a small business during the week of March 9 - 13. That's it.
Their goal is to generate 1000 referred leads to 1000 deserving small businesses in an effort to highlight the fact that this simple action can blossom into millions of dollars in new business.
They've also lined up some nice speakers for webinars during the week - and anyone who makes a pledge can get FREE audio recordings of these events!
So, go ahead. Create some stimulus. Let's declare an end to the depressicession.
watchmen fans rejoice
Paramount Pictures has made a boatload of previously unseen content for the uber-anticipated film Watchmen available online. And they've styled it in awesome retro tv set players (above). That's a cool detail that's often ignored in our embeddable society.
Send this to your geeky comic book friend, and he'll love you more than the smell of ink on a new graphic novel.
Not enough? Explore more at the exclusive Watchmen YouTube channel,
a grand idea
This is an awesome gesture, a cool self-promotional tool and a wonderful prize for a lucky non-profit.
On The House is a collaboration with a branding agency, web development group, design firm, and everything else a non-profit might need to get a whole new lease on life.
Non-profits can apply online for a chance to win over $83,000 in creative services. What a sweet way to call attention to Atlanta's coolest talent, while doing good at the same time. Everyone wins!
internet pop culture school
Sadly, there is no internet pop culture school. But if there were - the first class would be to watch everything on Greg Rutter's Definitive List of the 99 Things You Should Have Already Experienced On The Internet Unless You're a Loser or Old or Something.
New internet employers should require their employees to watch everything on this list.
Even better - the next time you're at a party, and someone says "grape stomp?? what's that??" you'll have a remedy. Instantly send Greg's list to the offending dork, and you'll be making the world a better place.
cancel your registration to that web 2.0 seminar
Techcrunch notes a nice new trend that's taking shape: people are no longer using the words "web 2.0" in conversation. Seems that everything web 2.0 has become absorbed into the internet that we already love and accept.
Next up: social media.
the next big social media opportunity
Want to be the first brand on the next big thing? How about Drew's arm?
If you're the high bidder, Drew Olanoff will tattoo your Twitter username onto his arm. Why not? You know you've spent more ridiculous money on the bosses' son's yearbook advertising. Or his friend of a friend's golf tournament. I say go for it.
Even better - this can come out of your "donations" budget instead of your "advertising" budget - as the winning bidder only needs to make a donation to the Make A Wish Foundation. At time of this publish, the current bid was at $1850. That's still less than the CFO's cousin's charity ball program guide ad that your firm paid for last year. Hurry. Bidding ends at close of business today.
facebook: we own you. forever.
Facebook just changed their Terms of Service Agreement. Their new agreement gives them some pretty wide reaching control over what used to be known as your content.
The Consumerist has an excellent breakdown of the TOS, and what it all means, so that you don't actually have to read the small print.
friday flakes episode six
Today's Friday Flakes is hosted by David, Chris and Darryl. (And special appearance by Jason!) In this week's episode, we talk about:
+ How David is a Star Wars geek AND a Friday the 13th geek
+ Darryl's return to the office after a week away
+ Warm weather touches the northeast quadrant
+ An unconventional, conventional pitch
In the World of Social Media, we chat about:
+ The reporter who made a dumbass out of himself on Twitter
+ We introduce a new feature called Tip of the Week (a great idea by Eric Smith) and talk about the cool tool that Ryan Kuder turned us onto, called Skitch
In this week at BrandFlakesForBreakfast, we chat about:
+ How Macy's disrespected dead cyclists
+ Valentwine, and how to find your most compatible Twitter friends (thanks to Atherton Artelby for the link)
Happy Friday the 13th from FridayFlakes!
candy hearts without the calories
Make your own digital candy hearts! Yummy for your computer, and guilt free! From MarketingProfs, via Twitter
blogs drive 80% of traffic to online video
Ummm, blogs and social media are really important if you want people to see your video. Here's proof with a bunch of numbers for your PowerPoint deck.
Which gives me the perfect excuse to top this post with Darth Vader's response to the David the Dentist video. Happy Friday.
using digital noise to your advantage
Sometimes hot video producers can just blow you away with the killerest concepts.
Today, that comes in the form of a music video for the band Chairlift. Their video utilizes compression artifacting (that pixely stuff that makes it hard to see detail in lower resolution online videos) and turns it into wonderous eye candy.
ridin' them slots hard
Hardee's and Carl's Jr. are sponsoring a new series of episodes about...slotcars. Their first features a profile on the new driver of the Hardees car: Smoky. A big black bear from Tennessee.
Just enough silly guy humor told by slot car action figures. Well done.
think before you tweet
A reporter for the National Post who either doesn't understand Twitter, or doesn't understand basic human interaction (or both) posted a series of completely embarrassing and unprofessional tweets to Marketing consultant April Dunford (pictured above).
April didn't call him back as quickly as he would have liked. So he chastised her on the phone. She tweeted about the exchange (without naming him), and then things went south. Real south. See the entire exchange on MediaStyle. Yikes.
From Social Media 411
lost gets the most tweets for tv
NewTeeVee is using Trendrr to track the number of tweets on major television shows. Last week, Lost was the big winner, although the Grammy's had a nice night of Twitter glory. (You can bet that MIA's maternity dress generated a significant portion of those tweets.)
It's cool to see TV tracked by the power of internet conversation. Hopefully the network Brand Managers are paying attention. Regardless, you should add some sweet Trendrr graphs to your next PowerPoint presentation, and impress your coworkers.
does your grocery store generate this kind of love?
If you're lucky enough to live in a market where there's a Trader Joe's, then you'll absolutely love this user generated video of love devoted to the store.
YesButNoButYes suggests that Trader Joe's adopt this as their official spot. A 30 second edit would be a grand idea. Bonus that it's shot on a cell phone. And now I'm hungry for Chili & Lime cashews.
pepsi's gravitational pull
This is either a brilliant viral marketing stunt or an OMG I can't believe that insider look at the background behind the new Pepsi logo.
A PDF floating around the internets titled "Breathtaking" details the theory and background behind the design of the new Pepsi logo. The document ties the logo to design theory as far back as 3000BC, and compares the logo's curves to the gravitational pull of the sun.
Perhaps it's a lesson of what's required to charge a client $2 million for a logo redesign. I tend to believe it's a joke - having a lot of fun with all of the bloggers and design geeks who have had a lot to say about the design of the new Pepsi logo.
Either way, it's internetastic.
valentines of death: now available at macys
Many NYC residents are already familiar with ghost bikes. The installations memorialize bikers who have lost their lives to the streets of New York, and are seen throughout the city.
Apparently, the person responsible for designing the Valentine display at Macys flagship store was clueless to the memorials. So their "My Funny Valentine" displays look sick and embarrassing. Unless of course, your customers enjoy laughing at dead cyclists.
A hard lesson in why creative teams need to have market familiarity, and a keen understanding of pop culture.
how high is the water, mama?
Sea levels are rising due to climate change. Ever wonder what that means to you?
The Watermarks Project documents what that could mean to the residents of Bristol, England - with light projections of possible water levels. Awesome. From BLDGBLOG.
(Oh - and for uninitiated, the headline to this post references this little ditty.)
what not to wear: grammy night
Just when you thought the music industry was completely dead, people actually tuned in and watched the Grammys.
The performances and music have all been well covered (and are downloadable) elsewhere. So Laura Sweet picked up the challenge of fashion coverage. If you like checking out rock star fashion, then you'll love her post critiquing the ensembles seen on Grammy night.
got a couch? will tweet for food.
Paul Smith is a freeloading Twitter-using wanderer on an adventure that is appropriately described as Twitchiking. He's traveling the globe at the mercy of his Twitter followers. And there's a charity involved, too. He's got a blog to detail his travels beyond 140 characters, and he's scheduled to kick off his trip on March 1.
Got a place for Paul to stay? Want to buy airfare? You know where to find him. From Truemors.
school that you don't mind going to
Omnisio has a great collection of videos with slide presentations from Startup school 08. This is a pretty cool conference of geeks talking about all of the things that you love: startups, business and the internets. Take 20 minutes a day this week and watch some of it. Your inner geek will love you more.
From StyleTime and Problogdesign, via Twitter.
your personal face history
This is your face. This is your face every single day for as long as you can remember. This is a cool idea. Take a snapshot of your face every day, on Daily Mugshot. Then play it as a cute little animated movie. This is going to be awesome, after people have built years of mugshots. You should start yours now.
From LaneVids, pictured above.
find your valentine on twitter
Have a crush on one of your Twitter friends? Compare your Twitter love interests, and see if you're compatible! Be my Valentwine lets you check your compatibility with other Tweeters. Use it to find twue love or use it to match up your friends.
From Atherton Artelby, via Twitter. Duh.
friday flakes episode five
In this week's episode, we talk about:
+ A Plaid, Plaid world without Darryl.
+ Darryl's replacement, or, Fake Darryl.
+ Delicious Swedish Fish.
We chat about Denny's and their Grand Slam goodness:
+ Denny's delicious giveaway.
+ Did Denny's change their public perception?
+ What is even in a Grand Slam breakfast?
We talk about computer tans vs. real tans:
+ What's computer tan all about?
+ Who at Plaid has been a repeat tanner.
We chat about Google and their new Latitude app:
+ Is it creepy, or cool?
+ How it works, and why you'd use it.
+ Would somebody as boring as Dave even want to use it?
new york experience, told by legos
The New York Times has a fun photo essay on the New York experience, as told with Legos. Send this to any New Yorker that you know - it'll be appreciated.
how special olympics measures up
A new campaign for the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games hopes to change the perception of the Special Olympics. The print campaign compares the Olympic finish line, ice rink and slalom course to the Special Olympic versions. Nice work.
microsoft surface, in the wild
Now you don't have to be Wolf Blitzer to play around with Microsoft Surface. You only need to go to Vegas. Rio Hotel and Casino has installed Microsoft Surface tables at their iBar. It's a reason to visit sin city that won't cost you quarters. Or dollars. Or fifties, depending on how you roll.
people remember 800 numbers more than urls?
A new study says that people can remember a 800 vanity phone number easier than they can recall a url.
In one of the examples cited - creative could likely be the culprit too. I'd argue that it's easier for anyone to remember 1-800-NEW-AUTO than it is to recall baysideautosales.com
Oh, and the study was commissioned by 800Response, who just may have a vested interest in the results. ;)
what it's like to go through airport xray
Evan Roth, the founder of the Graffiti Research Lab, has posted an interesting project documenting his travels...he's kept his video camera running through airport xray machines as he's traveled the world.
This project does prove one thing: those airport xray machines aren't filled with Gremlins, monsters or goblins.
google knows you're at the beach
Google just launched Latitude, their new tool that tracks your and your friends locations. Keep track of your husband, your kids or your neighbors. Or follow them around while never leaving your desk.
It works from most mobile devices or your desktop, and has loads of possibilities for marketing promotions, location based promotions or treasure hunts.
free breakfast a grand slam for dennys
AdAge has a nice write up on the Dennys promotion that gave free Grand Slam breakfasts to 2 million people across the country yesterday.
A premium that cost them a reported $5 million, and has left a lasting impression on a country of hungry people. That's less than $3 per person served. A grand idea to get people in the doors, change perception of what Dennys might be, and swim in a delicious plate of PR. Mmmmmm. Bacon.
computer tans are tantastic!
All of the hot people at your office are probably tanning themselves right now. And your pasty, geeky skin could use a little color, too.
Stuck in the middle of winter? Not a problem! Now you can tan from the comfort of your own cubicle. With nothing but your computer monitor. Awesome, fun piece for SKCin.
controlling highway signs for fun
Hacking signs is likely illegal and we don't recommend that you do this, but it's a lot of fun to look at the galleries of people have hacked highway signs.
Someone's posted instructions on how to hack your own sign - but we like the internet version better - which doesn't require actually getting your hands dirty. From Eyebeam.
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