Change the way we think

Before I was a marketer, I studied Environmental Biology. What can I say, I'm a geek. Part of being a geek is that I like science, and in my particular geekiness, I'm particularly interested in the Natural Sciences and the environment.

With all that in mind, check out this great WWF presentation. And think about it!

Is that The Stig?

It's been all over the news in the last week about the true identity of BBC Top Gear's 'Stig'. After a local newspaper broke the story and released details of The Stig's real name, the interweb has been a flurry of chatter and excitement. But the story goes deeper.

For those who are not regular viewers I'll give a brief background. The Stig we know now is not the first Stig. He's at least the second. The first was supposedly killed in a Top Gear stunt "that went wrong".

However, during the week the BBC released the following video along with this press release:
“until now, the original Stig from BBC Top Gear was thought to have been killed back in 2003, when he drove a modified Jaguar XJS off the end of HMS Invincible aircraft carrier at 109mph. . . The nation was shocked that the Stig was dead. However, recent footage has been found on YouTube showing that he miraculously survived.”



So what's all this about. Who is The Stig? Well one things for certain and that's that the BBC are brilliant marketers. A video with over 26,000 views in 3 days, and an awful lot of online chatter. This is a great viral campaign that is fueled by simple mystery. Good Job!

There's also a microsite about The Stig's return.

Guitars and Lasers!

If cinema has taught me anything (and I think has) it's that music, especially rock and roll, can change the world for the better. Unfortunately, for everyone who hasn't had the patience to take lessons, guitar isn't something you pick up in an hour or two. It takes time and a lot of dedication.

However, designer Eugene Cheong may have a solution to avoiding too much time and dedication. His latest invention, the Maestro, is an attachment that can teach you what frets to play to become a halfway decent player. Now here is the good bit, the device can accept MP3 files via SD card, which it then displays on the guitar frets via lasers. Just strum away as you see the beams lighting up your fretboard and "learn" your favourite songs.

Walk-in Fridge Part 2

The recent Heineken Walk-in Fridge ad was absolutely hilarious, gaining over 5 million views in just a ferw weeks. You liked it, I liked it, and obviously over 5 million people liked it. But did you like it enough to think about making your own.....



Found on www.illegaladvertising.com, this is a fantastic spoof viral.

Gamer Speak

I'll admit that there was a time when I played quite a bit of multiplayer online gaming (LAN games of Age of Empires when I was in college) but I've never gotten into this whole MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) thing that has exploded in the last couple of years. Obviously the forefront of this has been World of Warcraft, which has 11.5 million monthly subscribers. I'll admit, it looks fun. What I didn't realise was the short code language that has developed around the game.

This NBC Bay Area report highlights the oddness (sorry gamers) of how conversation has developed around the game.



Admittedly this guy is clearly hamming it up, and exaggerating the whole thing, but I have no doubt when he doesn't have his girlfriend in the room he becomes incomprehensible.