twitchy concert viewers

If you aren't aware of Twitch.tv, it's probably time to take notice. Twitch is most notably known for streaming video game play-throughs, commentary and events. The content has been primarily focused on games of all kinds from mega-popular League of Legends to live Dungeons and Dragons sessions. But now they are branching out to Music. A live Steve Aoki concert was featured on the Twitch homepage. When the DVR has replaced appointment television, Twitch is making a strong case for creating appointment viewing on their platform.

another private messaging app for your...

The world clearly needs more apps for people to share photos that they don't want to stay on the recipients phone for longer than a few seconds. At least Instagram thought so. So, they went ahead and developed Bolt. It is launching in Singapore, New Zealand, and South Africa for now. Then maybe it will go world wide and you'll be able to say, "you've been bolted!" over a photo you just took on the bus.

sharks circle the twitternado

Sharknado 2 was made and released. Twitter went wild. Brands decided to join in on the fun by posting their own rif on the Sharknado experience. Some put effort in to it while others... well, at least they got on the bandwagon before the wheels fell off.

auto-wins from "share a coke with" campaign

Alright, Coca-cola, fine. Your mission to seek free publicity by forcing your consumer to share their Coke cans all over social media has succeeded. There are photos. There are memes. There is even a nativity scene. Check out Mandatory's list of the best and worst of the "share the Coke with" campaign.

There's only one question that remains: if Coke took the top 250 names to be printed on bottles and cans, then how did Siri weasel her way onto a bottle?

give a dog a bone (or water)

The 150,000 stray dogs in Istanbul, Turkey, pose a serious problem for the city as they wander about in search of food and water. Instead of getting rid of them or letting them starve, one Turkish company has developed an innovation that not only feeds the nomadic canines of Turkey, but helps promote recycling as well. This gigantic reverse vending machine dispenses food and water every time a bottle is recycled. Save the dogs. Save the environment. This is a win-win.

"slothifying" profile photos

50 lucky Facebook fans received the opportunity of a lifetime: to have their profile pictures replaced with versions of them as sloths. Yes, sloths. British artist Hector Janse van Rensberg apparently had some time on his hands. He selected 50 random Facebook users and repainted their photos, in watercolor, using sloths. The results? A little weird, but really effing cute!

good things come in small packages

Like the latest from Nike and their new Free 5.0 shoes. They are the most flexible shoes ever and fit in this new tiny box. Great idea for lots of reasons, too bad the packaging is for a limited time only.

what a nice purple straw you have

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is turning their iconic purple straw into the latest Instagram filter. Instagram is no stranger to brand campaigns, but this is a refreshing way to leverage brand’s product while creating something the platform is known for.

breakfast of champions

Who doesn’t love bacon? Nobody, that’s who. Reebok recognizes that too and has developed a Paleo diet bacon to promote at the 2014 CrossFit Games. They’re sending friendly pork packages to the athletes and will be on site in their Bacon Box food truck handing out even more bacon deliciousness.

simpson's wine now with hints of blue hair

The final piece of your Simpson's viewing party has been revealed. Forgo the beer and chips for a cheese plate and a glass of fine (maybe) wine as you view the timeless classic brought to you by Matt Groening. Unfortunately, this is only a concept. But that shouldn't keep you from having a drink of your choice.

youtube user vs. nbc... fight!

Youtube has brought about a new era of media. Over the years, content creators on Youtube have had to deal with a lot of legal issues around the idea of Fair Use and copyrighted content in an attempt to earn a few bucks. The great part about social media in all of it's forms is that everyone has a voice. And when a Youtube user feels like he is getting screwed over he gets to post a video about it, and then it makes the news.

potato chip morning jolt

The wait is finally over. You can now get the new flavors in Lay's chip flavor extravaganza at a convenience store near you. This year it would seem that they have selected flavors that will make sure you are covered on all your daily cravings. First, start your day off crunching on a cappuccino. Enjoy a light sushi lunch accompanied by Ginger and Wasabi kettle cooked chips. Don't trouble yourself with dipping your chip in to the Mango Salsa, have the new chemically enhanced crisp for your afternoon snack. And at the end of the day you are sure to need a taste of comfort food with some Bacon Mac & Cheese sprayed all over a fried potato.

the color of characters

Color is one of the most powerful and memorable elements used in design, and no one understands this better than the masters of color, Pantone. Their new minimalist poster series featuring not much more than the color of some of the world's most beloved cartoon characters hits the point home in the most adorable way possible.

meow that's what I call a super group

Did someone say meow? What's better than a cute video of a famous cat? Oh, maybe a video with SIX famous cats! Summer Cat is a pop-video staring a super group of all your favorite internet cats including Grumpy Cat, Oskar the blind cat, Klaus, Hamilton, Hipster cat and Nala. And, as if that weren't mind blowing enough, every time you watch this sugary sweet adorableness, Friskies donates one meal to cats in need. So click play and prepare for cuteness overload.

steal your attention, steal your data

The internet is filled with fun and distracting websites, some of which could easily be comprising your security. To illustrate that, Netherlands-based security software company Ziggo sent a sexy lady (more clothed than the ones you're likely looking at online) to distract computer users. Then BAM, she disappears to hack and wipe out your computer. A strangely effective way to get a message across.

neil patrick harris is at it again

Neil Patrick Harris already has, like, a 98.1% approval rating, so the last thing we needed out of him was a clever, unorthodox turn as a pitch man. And yet, here we are with a new W+K spot for Heineken. Watch as NPH stumbles over the copious amount of red tape in advertising alcohol, while not once explaining to us how he met our mother.

inside-o-scope

Stepping inside a kaleidoscope sounds like an idea your stoner cousin would present to you while you're half listening. That said, a pair of Japanese artists actually designed such a thing, and the results are pretty visually arresting. The design was for an art contest in which participants were challenged to "create something spectacular that fits within the confines of a standard shipping container," and suffice to say, we want one in our office. Now.

mirror mirror on the wall, who's the smiliest of all?

Talk about service with a smile. At a recent awards night, Dove unveiled a "magic mirror" that prints photos for its visitors - but only under the condition that they're sporting an ear-to-ear grin. Not a bad way to associate your brand with positivity and good feelings, huh?

well beyond #throwbackthursday

Way before hashtags were a thing, in land where computers used dial up modems and our phones all had cords, video games were born. For those of us that remember those days and the early video games that we all fell in love with, you can thank R-Kaid-R, for this new invention: The Portable Arcade. With this amazing device you can take the arcade with you wherever you go and play the classics from Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, Atari 2600 and Playstation One.

there are emoji among us

Remember the good ol’ days back in the late 90’s / early 2000’s, when you actually had to manually type a smiley face in chat rooms, and IMs to express your feelings? ;) Well those days are long gone. Now we have emjois to make our lives easier. Thank goodness! Stock footage company Dissolve, made this lovely parody documentary to remind us how emjois have become such an integral part of our world.

overstocked pets find homes

Overstock.com is helping homeless pets find new homes. They recently launched a new program, leveraging their online shopping technology, but this time you can shop for pets in need. In just a few clicks you can locate animals near you and adopt, so what are you waiting for?

google doesn't want your real name any more

Once upon a time creating your own social network was all the rage. Little start-ups like Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr were gaining traffic left and right. Digg and Reddit were fighting it out to offer up the latest cat gifs. And then Google decided to throw its gigantic hat in the right. But how would they differentiate their social network from all the others? Real names! A user can only ever use his or her real name. That'll do it. People don't want to hide behind the safety and security of a sudonym on the internet.

Wait, nevermind... I guess it was all just a dream. It seems that Google realized that real names are meant for you driver's license and bank accounts, not a social networking website hooked up to the largest search engine in the known universe.

loving big cans

Teenagers are awkward. Relationships are awkward. Teenage relationships are maximum awkward. Nestea knows this eternal truth and has built their new ad on it. They got one thing right: boys love big cans... of iced tea.

air bnball logo

Companies make updates to their logos all the time. Some even spend 7 figures on the process. Why? Because you don't want the identity of your company looking like it should be hanging off the trailer hitch of a 4x4 diesel truck with a second amendment sticker on the tail gate. Airbnb forgot to ask the Twitter hive mind what they thought about the logo.

your news stream during the apocalypse

Australian apocalyptic film, These Final Hours, is letting you get a first-hand view of what your social and digital news stream might look like if the apocalypse broke out tomorrow. Just grant the app access via Facebook connect and you'll get an ongoing stream of frightening posts, emails, IMs, tweets and so on from your friends as you get closer and closer to the end of days... which is probably not that much more dramatic than how some of your current friends already post on social media. Am I right?

Try it. It's pretty fun and somewhat addicting!

be inspired, advertising peeps

Ah yes, us sensitive advertising/marketing people sometimes need to be reassured that what we do is of great social importance, the ultimate expression of creativity and brilliance. And, dramatic videos (like this one) (complete with climatic music and deep voiceover guy) help keep us on the path.

So, if you need a boost of motivation, give this video a watch, then go to that brainstorm, think of some big ideas to hock that process food crap you're trying to sell, stare at a blank illustrator file while the client dictates their color palate, template, and logo size, then don't forget to clock that shit in your timesheet. Feeling inspired yet?

chocolate, just for you

Yep, it's another fancy schmancy vending machine, this time brought to you by Cadbury. Just login via Facebook connect and the Joy Generator vending machine scans your profile and dispenses you the perfect type of chocolate that best suits your personality. Who wouldn't want to be smooth, like a Caramello? Mmmmmmm

believe it or not, i'm typin' on air

 

Let me start by saying I am typing this on a keyboard. I'm locked in on the home keys. (ASDF JKL; for all you n00bs out there). I'm quite comfortable, but there's at least one company that thinks there's a better way of doing things. Introducing Air Type - it's a device that straps onto each of your hands and translates your finger movements into readable type - no keyboard necessary. This is either revolutionary technology, or the crappiest Wii game of all time. What do you think?

world cup runneth over

Win or lose, sports fans booze - which is all well and good until it's time to drive home. So to remind soccer-heads not to cross the line, Leo Burnett London put together a spot for their client, Brake, featuring the same foam spray FIFA referees use to keep defenders from moving on free kicks. If you don't know what I'm talking about, shame on you for not watching the World Cup. [Spoiler Alert: Germany won].

weird al gets tacky

 

Instagram selfies. Yelp warfare. Comic Sans. No Internet no-no is safe in Weird Al's latest parody, "Tacky," set to the tune of a certain Pharrell Williams hit I've been trying to get out of my head since May. The video features cameos from several comedians, including Jack Black and "Modern Family" star Eric Stonestreet, and looks like it must have been incredibly fun to film. Or maybe I'm just tacky.

healthy doses from the dutch oven

Permission to fart: Granted. The gods of science have recently decreed that your redolent ass-halations are actually healthy. For you? Well, hell yeah, we already knew that. Even better, though? They're good for those around you, too. This article courtesy of brobible explains why there's no need to apologize for that nasty bomb you dropped in the elevator. So let loose, people. Show your friends you care.

boyz II men II twitter II wendys II you

Boy bands don't go away; they just get retooled and exploited by brands for their inherent camp. But when it's done right, it's good, and it doesn't get much better than what Wendy's has done with Boyz II Men. They've enlisted the venerable group to croon the tweets they've solicited in honor of the revival of the Pretzel Bun. While not a traditional trope for R&B, it makes for good stuff when just the right amount of tongue-in-cheek is applied. LOL, B2M.

cover girl

Facebook's cover photos just kinda suck, right? Weird size, things get in the way, heads get cut off, a pain to change, etc. But with a little bit of imagination and a touch of photoshop, one user has found a way to make her cover photo into a pretty fun series. No surprise, maybe, given her Reddit handle: RubberDogTurds.

facebook may meet the feds

If you didn't already know, Facebook may have played with your emotions back in 2012. Turns out people don't like to be manipulated. And in this case those people include a US Senator. How do US Senators deal with things like this? With an open letter to the FTC. If there is one thing the internet loves and admires right now it is regulation.

ninja turtle pizza party

Pizza Hut and cross promotion go together like pepperoni and cheese. This time it is a match made in heaven as the chain reintroduces their cheesy bites pizza by defying the laws of physics on the end of Leonardo's sword. They have even introduced a 'secret' menu listing out each of the Heros-in-a-half-shell's favorite toppings. Suspiciously missing... penicillin. Anyone? Well, hopefully they will come out with some sweet commemorative glasses to go along with the movie release.

junkface: a made up disease involving your balls

Men, Neutrogena wants to talk about your genitals. Specifically, how you can avoid their made up "Junkface" disease. What is "Junkface," you may ask. It's when you wash your testicles and face with the same soap, in that order. And in this case the order matters. So, you can either buy their face wash, or wash your face first to avoid the terrors that come with "Junkface."

where winners sleep

You can probably envision the planning meeting at TripAdvisor now: "How can we tie all this World Cup buzz back to our brand?" Sure, they could've done something lame and expected, like a guide of places to stay and visit while in Brazil, oooor they could be super creative and devise a bracket system that predicts World Cup winners based on the ratings of the hotels the teams have historically stayed at. Awesome!!!

get rich, or eat pizza tryin'

Who needs Kickstarter when you can fund your dreams one pizza at a time with the Dominos Pizza Mogul App. Create any 'ole pizza you'd like and score up to $4.50 every time someone orders it. You have to wonder, though, how long before every possible combination of topping has been created? Statisticians, get on that...

a shock(ing) surprise

Oh stuntvertising, how we hate to love you. This latest one comes from Shock Top who literally shocked people by having their "Wedgeghead" mascot move and talk to people in real-time, right on the package and tap handle. Not sure how Anomaly Toronto did it, but it's very well executed, complete with strong comedic delivery. As AdFreak points out, some of these people could be staged, but some do look genuinely surprised!

More videos here.

Guinness beats American companies at their own holiday

Guinness and BBDO New York have been hitting it out of the park with their “Made of More” advertising. Now, the Irish brewer has stolen the Independence Day show, with a goosebump-inducing ad titled "Empty Chair". Their American counterparts may still think scantily clad women are the way to go with their commercials, but we beg to differ.

study links junk food logos to obesity (duh)

File this one under: no-brainer of the day. Turns out, kids who can identify popular “junk food” logos (such as the golden arches) typically have higher BMIs than those who can not. The study, conducted by MSU, included subjects ranging in age from three to five years old. While this may seem very obvious, the fact that these effects can be seen on children so young is quite surprising.

the new “popular girl” of social media

In an effort to shed the “airhead” image, Mattel has taken an interesting step with the Barbie brand - by setting the fictional character up with a Linkedin account. The mock account proudly exclaims: “Our company tagline is 'If you can dream it, you can be it!' " Looks like Mattel is trying very hard to put “Math Class is Tough” Barbie far behind them!

keep calm and breathe on

Another personal monitoring device has hit the scene, but this one tells you when you're stressed or breathing heavily. Really? Give me a break. Do you really need some device to tell you to take a deep breath if/when you're stressed out? Hopefully not. The technology is great, but the concept is a load of crap. Hey, more power to Spire if they get people to buy in.

you won't believe your eyes

Lemonade Films reveal the secrets to making “great movies” on “tiny budgets” in their new ad campaign. Featuring various genres, from War to Drama, we get a glimpse of the movie magic we all hear about, but rarely get to see. Those tricky tricky movie makers, who knows what to believe anymore. Next thing you know, people will start saying that we never landed on the moon…

hotel for beer lovers

Dogfish Head officially opened their new inn this past weekend. Now guests can enjoy beer-themed amenities at the inn or head down the road to the brewery and get a taste of some fresh beer. Great idea to build this fine establishment and even better idea to open on America’s birthday weekend.

sex doesn't always sell

Stuff magazine has decided that the best thing to put on the cover of their gadget publication is not a scantily clad model. It would seem that instead of a model holding a gadget, focus groups have shown that they want to see a cover photo relevant to the content of the issue. Umm... Why did they need a focus group for this?

pull one off and in to your mouth

Oh, Carl's Jr... Subtlety isn't exactly their strong point, but at least they provide a good chuckle every so often. This time they are asking people on the street where they would 'pull one off' in reference to their cinnamon buns. Not exactly the most obvious masturbation innuendo, but a good effort none the less.

instagram your undies

Have you heard of MeUndies? If you have a strong Instagram following and like looking at photos of people in their undies, then you may be getting a call from them soon. The skivvies company is reaching out to 'influencers' to build their brand on the photo based social site. So, go out and get a run in, and then post a picture of yourself in your underwear. You never know what might happen, right?

Oh Canada, give me a beer

Molson Canadian is proud to be Canadian, and they think Canadian people should be proud too. That's why they're rewarding a beer to people that can sing the Canadian National Anthem, start to finish. Can't sing it? Then this smart little beer vending machine won't open for you. So, get practicing now, aye?

saving the world one ice cream truck at a time

National Geographic Young Explorer Grant winners are taking to the streets this summer in America's most beloved vehicle... the ice cream truck. But these young guys won't just be serving up ice cream to kids in the street, they'll also be serving up lessons about preservation of local parks and wildlife areas. And of course, the ice cream they're serving is all natural from Magnolia Ice Cream. Their entire Ice Cream Expedition experience will be filmed and turned into a documentary to teach kids about conservation. If you agree it's a delicious concept, check out their Kickstarter!

you owe your life to beer

Good things happen when beer is involved, including your conception. Don't want to think about it? Too bad! Miller Lite's new spot is making sure you don't forget by proudly boasting that they invented light beer, which led to less beer bellies on men, which led to women having sex with them... and, well, you get the gist. So next time you crack open a cold one, don't forget to give thanks for bringing you into this world.

Ikea does Instagram

Will we ever stop talking about Ikea’s marketing? Probably not. Now, the company’s Russian agency has thought up a new use for Instagram, launching an account that functions like a website. Click on any of the 34 pictures featured, and you are directed to an account devoted to that piece of furniture. Thanks for the new strategy, Ikea!

meet the mood blanket

We all remember the days of mood rings. Now, British Airways is taking this concept to the next level, by testing “mood blankets” that indicate whether passengers are feeling “content” or “stressed” while they fly. Let’s just hope “horny” doesn’t have its’ own color.

a resume to remember

These days, its difficult making your resume stand out. Brennan Gleason, a recent design graduate from University of the Fraser Valley in British Columbia, decided that the best way to stand out would be to bottle his resume – as in, beer. The job seeker printed his resume on a six-pack to provide to potential employers. Now let’s hope they don’t drink it all in one sitting, or they may forget to call him.