Currency replaced by kindness?

ABSOLUT vodka’s new campaign challenges us to look at the world differently: what would happen if we replaced cash with kindness. Spawned by the TV spot, this was taken experientially in various venues around London. At cinemas in Clapham and Islington, customers traded compliments and high-fives for free snacks and drinks, while others were surprised by a free coffee in exchange for a smile. More events followed such as free busking and free drinks in bars (where? where? where?)!

Conversation has been happening about what you would trade for currency on the ABSOLUT site and across their Twitter stream (#kindness) and images on Flickr.

Although the experiential activity was quite small and the conversations similar, I applaud ABSOLUT and their agencies for getting out there and doing it. Too often we get barriers put in place; part of our evolving digital landscape is about experimentation. Innovation doesn’t have case studies and predicting results is hard. It takes brave clients and agencies to leap. Well done to these guys for taking it.

Thanks to Jonathan @ We Are Social for sharing.

Posted by: Nicholas Gill | bluurb.wordpress.com

Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn |nr_gill@hotmail.com

Kleenex' weeping willow

YouTube - The Tissue Tree: "Next to Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art, the Kleenex Silk Touch Tissue Tree is inspired by the work of the world famous 'wrapping' artist, Christo.


Swathed in over 1km of silk, the tree is laden with 700 blossoms that each dispense Kleenex Silk Touch tissues to passers by. Staff nearby are encouraging people to touch the silky soft tree and feel the difference of Kleenex Silk Touch for themselves."

I really like the creative concept behind this, and the fact that the structure invites people who pass by to take a tissue and deconstruct it. Other might argue that this is an example of the blurring lines between art and advertising. But would that be such a bad thing?

Facebook killed the blog

The other night my worst suspicions were confirmed: Facebook really killed the blog. Look for yourself what Google has to say on the subject when asking politely (top 5 search results):

"all my friends that used to blog no longer are. They're all posting one line statements of what they're doing on FB. So, there you have it. Video killed the radio star, and Facebook killed the blog. RIP."
Jonathan Hays, 14. april 2009 at his blog http://offlineinaustin.blogspot.com/2009/04/facebook-has-killed-blog.html

"I entirely blame facebook for my lack of blogging. I used to have random thoughts that would quickly evolve into short narratives, and since the advent of the facebook status update approximately 90% of these thoughts have manifested as 160-character updates instead of a full-blown story. I am going to try to do a better job of letting these ideas mature into well-thought-out blogs instead of little blurbs for my facebook friends."
Sara B, Portland , Tuesday, January 27, 2009 at http://www.saraknowsbest.com/2009/01/facebook-killed-blog-star.html

"I don’t see Facebook replacing blogs. The purpose for each is disparate. What I do see though is my blog readership dropping."
Anonymous blogger, 21. januar 2009 at http://blog.jamesfries.com/archive/2009/01/21/3727.aspx

"I'm sure you're aware of the new kid on the block - Facebook. Oh sure, its newer and its somewhat more interactive, and all my friends are there... it's all true. I've been having a great ol' time... But make no mistake, You - my blog - are my first love."
Kerry, Tuesday, May 22, 2007 at http://whatshappenindaddyo.blogspot.com/2007/05/facebook-killed-blog-star.html

"Facebook Killed the Blog ... but I'm sure I'm not the first one to say it. Obviously, I haven't blogged in awhile. A while. Quite a while..."
Lacey Crawford, 8. februar 2009 at http://www.laceycrawford.com/log.html

Also:

Technorati seems to have stopped producing graphs on the growth of the blogosphere, which they so proudly presented in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and up until 2007. No mention of "growth" in their 2008 report. No figures. No graphs.

And:

Is it, as Jason Calacanis said when he officially retired from blogging almost a year ago: "I love blogs and always will. However, I’ve done my part and I’m looking to strip it down. I’m looking for something more acoustic, something more authentic and something more private. Blogging is simply too big, too impersonal, and lacks the intimacy that drew me to it"

Or is it, that blogging is a far more lonely experience than the one offered by the social networks. That the social element of blogs (the blog-roll and the ability to post comments) is simply over-matched by Facebooks friends-list.

Or is it, that blogging is to fragmented, you have to sign up to a thousand different rss-feeds to be kept up to date with your networks activities, whereas Facebook offers you one-stop-updating?

Digital becoming Number One!

Breaking news: Internet number ONE advertising mediagroup in Denmark

Internet beat both daily newspaper, tv and radio as advertising medium in Denmark in 2008. With revenues of euro 392,7 million, Internet cut out a 21 percent-slice of the total Danish adspend-pie of euro 1,9 billion.
Daily newspapers accounted for 19 percent, weekly local and regional newspapers for 18 percent, TV for 17 percent, weekly for 13 percent. Outdoor, Radio and Cinema accounts for 4, 2 and 1 percent.
These are the key conclusions from the Reklameforbrugsundersøgelsen 2008, the official Danish adspend statistics. You’ll be able to find the figures at Dansk oplagskontrols website, when they eventually are uploaded.
The euro 392,7 billion internet advertising revenues are parted into Display advertising (euro 123,3 mio), Search (euro 105,8 mio), Classifieds (euro 144,6 mio) and Permission marketing (euro 18,3 million). This breakdown is availble in the newly released FDIM ad ex study 2008 (summary in English at page 22).