Snow View

For years now, Google Streetview has been fantastic way to take a virtual stroll through any neighborhood you wish to see. It's been employed to scout for new houses, take a peek at the giant estate that former high school nerd turned internet mogul just bought and it's even revealed a few inappropriately parked cars. "Wait a second! Why is there a pool repairman truck in our driveway? We have no pool."



With the Olympics in full throttle, Google has taken the Streetview concept to bring us a closer look at this worldly venue. I love this idea. And actually wish they went further by bringing a camera down the bobsled track or along for a Shaun White-esque, half-pipe ride. They do show a little bit of an alpine run, which is cool.

To satisfy my craving for an even better virtual experience, I give you a series of helmet cams that offer a feel for the thrill of these Winter Olympic sports. If you've watched the events this year, you've seen how NBC has taken advantage of innovative cameras and interesting setups to really bring the action into our living rooms. And yes, go USA.

Guerrilla Goodness

Guerrilla Marketing, not so long ago, was something seen as hands-on and personable, yet small and short-lived. Typically, a tactical team would hit a city block or a train station or a college campus. They would do their thing. And then several hours later the effort and the impact would be history.

These days, however, thanks to the vast power of this little thing called the internet, the right guerrilla approach can live on and on. In fact, as a part of your marketing plan, you can create and execute ideas that work both from a guerrilla standpoint and a viral one.  Here are 3 well-played ideas. One from Coke. One from T-Mobile. And one from Motorola.

The Happiness Machine in action:


T-Mobile shows us how life's worth sharing:


Motorola Droid hypes their secret apps... sort of.

Another 5 Most Excellent Outdoor Ads

Maybe it's the frigid temps here in Chicago right now, but this billboard for Norwegian Air is really appealing to me. It takes the reality of the ever declining weather that you're suffering through and kindly offers a nicely priced escape.



Nothing fancy here, it's just a great use of the environment to make a small ad for Altschul Orthodontics much bigger.

  Here's a clever campaign from SPCA to help get shelter dogs a home to call their own. Sure the way a pooch wags his tail, slobbers all over you and fetches that stick is nice, but this idea shows a real purpose and benefit to having one around. They're protective of their, that is your, domain and that could keep you safe.



Ah, another dog-related ad. At first I wasn't sure about this execution: "Dog staring at food." But then I spotted the drool on the ground. Nice job Royal Canin, Pavlov would be proud.



If a car were to come in a box, it probably would be the Mini Cooper. This outdoor Christmas tactic, does a nice job a blending in just enough to make the reveal worthy of a smile. It carries on the Mini Cooper's embracing of its size and gives people a thought on how to create a very surprising gift.

Fun with Lights... and sheep

Don't get the wrong idea, this 1st posting has absolutely nothing to do with lonely men and furry animals. Well, okay... maybe a little bit.  This piece has already claimed viral victory with over 10 million views on youtube.

It's purpose is to hype Samsung's LED TV technology. I'm not sure it tells me anything about the TVs, but it's interesting, different and certainly an effective example of creating something that goes viral.



This second "fun with lights" spot is for Honda. It's probably less viral and more commercial because it's a little less talk worthy. Lighting up sheep is new, cars not as much. However, it's still very engaging and it delivers a message about their latest and now very affordable Hybrid car. I've also posted the very ambitious making of Honda's Let It Shine.

This message brought to you by Santa

For a kid, there is nothing cooler, or perhaps scarier, than Santa. He's big, loud and hairy. He runs with a pack of elves. And he's constantly watching your behavior.  He is also the guy who leaves a towering pile of awesome presents in your living room and flies through the sky in a sleigh.  And right now, kids everywhere are wondering: "What's the Jolly Man up to?" "I wonder if he got my list?" And "I hope I don't get coal."

Thus, the website portablenorthpole.tv has created a unique way for people to check in with the North Pole by sending a personalized video message from Santa Claus himself. Parents create a Santa Greeting that in nice detail informs their little ones, with name and picture included, that they are being "nice" and that Santa knows what they want this year. Or on the flip side, if you're Elin Woods, you could send Tiger a special Santa message about how "not nice" he's behaved and what he'll be finding in his stocking this year... (insert joke here).

Either way, this is a very fun use of technology and creativity to bring home some holiday excitement. Click below to see a Santa video.

http://portablenorthpole.tv/

Battle of the Sexes

 Okay, who's smarter: Men or Women?

Chances are if you're guy, you answered one way. And if you're a woman, you went the opposite direction. Yes, this war of brain superiority has been waging for quite some time. And certainly there is no conclusive answer. However, Trivial Pursuit is attempting to shed some light on this fight with their very own online experiment.

At trivialpursuitexperiment.com, you can go and try to answer an many trivia questions as you can. The correct male answers are tallied on one side, while the female ones on the other. This challenge is certain to spark debates, bragging, excuses and so on. It also does a nice job of getting people involved with a old brand/product called Trivial Pursuit. Along with every correct or incorrect answer, you are are given a funny youtube clip showcasing men and women doing not-so-smart things. You can even send a banter card to someone of the opposite sex with one of those embedded clips in it.

Watch the below promotional video. It beautifully sets up the battle. Right now the women are winning by a resounding 90,000 points.  Which as a man, makes me wonder "Are they smarter or do they have more free time." Just asking the question.

Bring It To Life

As a strongly biased fan of just about everything Irish (hey, it's my heritage), I will always have a special place for Guinness in my heart... and in my fridge. So when I saw they had a new commercial and tag line, I was instantly pulled in. And much like their very delicious pint, I was not disappointed.

The spot embodies the spirit and life that flows out of every Guinness pour. It begins with a simple action.  It then builds and builds and builds. Along the way, our senses are summoned and enticed. At the finish, there is something wonderful to enjoy. Ahhh... watch this tasty commercial while I quickly head to a pub.