The New Anti-Social

Weezer Snuggie Infomercial

2009-11-03T14:23:00.001-08:00

More Brilliant viral marketing. There are so many jokes going on here, it's hard to know who it's really on.

FIRST LOOK: Shaun White's private pipe - Red Bull Project X

2009-11-03T14:15:00.001-08:00

Smart Viral Work.

Microsoft Photosynth: Uh... Holy Fuck

2009-11-03T13:29:00.001-08:00

Lufthansa Tweets Mid-Air Location

2009-11-02T09:48:00.001-08:00

Peep this

The Google Story: Get To Know Your New God

2009-10-29T15:45:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween From Asylum626.com

2009-10-28T11:22:00.001-07:00

You might find that you need this.

Google Social Search: A Demonstration

2009-10-27T10:58:00.001-07:00

Sheds more light onto this new Google Lab product.

The Hangover Beard: A Surprising Social Media Success (So far)

2009-10-14T16:41:00.001-07:00

Few had hope that such a silly idea could prevail- selling fake beards? The thought! But as Halloween draws closer and closer, there are few signs that the Hangover Beard idea will be anything but a resounding success.

Editors Note: Please allow me to gloat a bit.

I came up with the idea to sell fake beards that looked similar to the one that Zach Galifianakis sports in the movie "The Hangover" and in every other day of his life. I myself cannot grow a beard, let alone a 13 year old hormonal mustache. Yep, the Beebe's were blessed with height and unmatchable looks but the facial hair evaded us. So I personally found a real utility in such a stupid idea.

So i started a website- hangoverbeard.com- with the hopes of maybe selling one or two beards. My past attempts into the digital world have met with differing levels of abmissal failure. Take H2HO Water Delivery. The concept is so simple- Hydration is sexy. So order drinks in bulk online and hot chicks will deliver them straight to your door, all the while admiring how sexy your hydrated self will soon be.

I didn't make one sale. Had one person ask if I carried Cherry Coke though. I didn't. The lesson taught me that business isn't as easy as The Apprentice will make you believe. Wearing a suit and being an asshole to everyone will not sell product. H2HO Water Delivery did teach me a few things: 1. My mom hates the word "Ho" and pleaded for me to change the name to H2WOW. No way ma, I already bought the domain name. 2. Hot girls love a guy who "has a business" and are all too willing to volunteer to be the sexy delivery chicks, but only if they can wear belly shirts. Notes to all college freshman/men everywhere- pretend to own a sexy business. 3. Having a niche business makes you seem quirky. Quirky enough to make it on Real World. After sharing my innappropriate flyers with my fellow auditioning Real Worlders, I made a few call backs. At some point, it became obvious I was not interesting or troubled enough to be exploited on MTV, so they stopped calling me. They didn't even order Perrier for the audition sets.

I've tried a handful of other online ideas but either was too lazy to finish or suddenly realized it already existed. Or sucked. Or both.

But this time something was different. I was older, wiser. I had more money to waste. Flash forward, I set up a website, a paypal payment system and a few social media profiles (Facebook and @hangoverbeard). I threw some money at paid advertising but little came from it. My main focus was seeing if I could create such a niche market product that if I contacted the fans of said niche, they'd be powerless not to buy.

I guess it kinda worked!

My Twitter, Fat Jesus (@hangoverbeard) started getting some fans after repeatedly targeting everyone who mentioned the words "beard, jesus, costume, or hangover". My final pool of fans is a rag tag bunch but they have so much spunk. Via the twitter outreach I started experiementing with other platforms- my aforementioned Facebook group was good at corralling my willing Facebook friends but few others. So I started posting to other related Facebook groups- Zach Galifianakis fan groups, The Hangover fan page, Beard aficionados pages. That worked. I posted to digg with a few articles, all just different enough to pick up some traction. That worked. And I eventually befriended the right Twitter profile who would turn out to be the Los Angeles Times Image Section. The moderator of it was intrigued when he read "Fat Jesus is now following you..." in his inbox. One thing led to another and BAM, Hangover Beard is in the LA Times:

Enough of this. I will be putting together a consolidated Case study of this adventure to share with others, highlighting what worked best and where the pitfalls are.

What I think this best illustrates is a few things. First, people will buy anything. Anything. I've toyed around with selling dog shit online and I think I have a market. Second, you will always have those "why didn't I think of that!?" moment or the related, more vengeful "I thought of that! I should have done that!" moment. Let me say- do it. Just do it. Even if it's a stupid idea, figure out what it'll take and then go for it. What's the worst that could happen? You're out a few bucks. Now you have a story. I never sold a drop of drink with H2Ho Water Delivery but I got something far better than money- a story. And now I have both.

Thanks to everyone who's supported me along the way. I really couldn't have done it without you. Well, maybe I could have, but I feel a lot better about it knowing I have your support.

Hipster Runoff: The Memefication of Your Band

2009-10-13T13:56:00.000-07:00

Great article shedding light onto what it means to be a band in this digital era. It may seem obnoxious, but the world is obnoxious and this breakdown is startling poignant. As the article states:

Your band must invade the Perception Economy. Your Band must no longer be a band. Your band must be a meme. A Meme Which Generates subMemes. These memes must be compelling, intriguing, and interesting enough for people to ‘follow’ or at least think that you are ‘worth following.’

Give it a read HERE

Don Q's Ladydata: Brand Using Statistics Out in the Open

2009-10-13T13:40:00.000-07:00

For those outside of advertising, one might think a bunch of hooligans smoke pot all day while toasting to counter-culture as they doodle qitty prose on the back of a used condom.

Let me assure this is not the case most of the time.

Regularly, advertising choices are made based on precisely calculated information drawn from user feedback and behavorial trends. What this ends up meaning is that Math and statistics can be found at the center of any good ad campaign.

But usually, that information is kept behind our very hip iron curtain, leading to the aforementioned misconceptions. However, Don Q Rum decided to have the results of their focus groups lead the advertising charge for their brand.

And I love it. Sure, the direction is very cliched-- hot girls giving their opinion about their perception of the perfect man aka how guys can get laid easier-- but fuck it, they're telling you how to get laid easier! Easier means more time to drink delicious Don Q and repeat the process! DUH! They even breakdown the female audience whose giving the answers, so if you only want to know how to properly seduce a 20-24 midwestern flip-flop wearer, you can.

But really, leading a charge with actually presenting qualitative data is an approach I think should be replicated. I personally love when I come away from a advertisement having learned something substantial (other than that OxyClean gets your whites whiter). Data visualizations and collective knowledge is on the rise and has no signs of stopping, so being transparent and showing all your cards, even if you're cards are stacked, is an interesting approach.

What is Google Wave?

2009-10-02T12:35:00.001-07:00

As this may prove to be one of the biggest innovations in online communication, I feel compelled to spread the good word.

In a nutshell, Google Wave makes communication more manageable and removes possible human error.

Can't wait for it to go live as I do not have an invite. Sigh...

Artists using I Am T-Pain - Auto-Tune iPhone App

2009-09-30T10:39:00.001-07:00

yeah it's old but goddamnit what an idea!

Asylum626 tops Creativity's Top 5 for the Week of Sep. 28th

2009-09-29T17:46:00.001-07:00

Carl Sagan - 'A Glorious Dawn' ft Stephen Hawking (Cosmos Remixed)

2009-09-29T17:12:00.001-07:00

No subject is safe from the awesomeness of Auto-Tune. It's like someone figured out how to make Carl Sagan seem like a bigger stoner. Bravo.

MASSIVEGOOD Join the movement

2009-09-29T06:48:00.001-07:00

Asylum626.com & Doritos Utilize Facebook Mentions

2009-09-25T14:58:00.000-07:00

Doritos has leveraged Facebooks' new Mentions feature to help increase the creepiness reach of their newest site Asylum626.com.

For thos unfamiliar with Facebook Mentions, it's the networks rebuttal to the now ubiquitous Twitter @reply. By typing an "@" in your Facebook status bar, you can type in a friends name to have them receive the message. This means your status appears in your activity stream and theirs, doubling the potential reach of a message.

Asylum626 already has a unique use of Facebook Connect baked into the experience- players are given the choice between two Facebook friends with the ability to only save one. Pretty fucked up. One step farther- a message is sent out to Facebook (and potentially Twitter) naming the two victims. Very fucked up. Keep going- now, using Facebook Mentions, the people being victimized will receive a wall post about their unbeknownst participation in some serious Machiavellian type shit. Uber-fucked up.

What this means from a media perspective is that a single message that would once only enter one users network is now being pushed across three, tripling the reach. Then account for the obvious questions that arise from this odd message, like "Did they save me or that bitch Josephine?"

The interpersonal fallouts aside, this use of Facebook Mention is the first time an advertiser has used the new feature and it couldn't be a for a more perfect project!

Disclaimer: I worked on Asylum626.com (if this is not shiningly apparent by now!) and wanted to toot my (and my many team members) horn a bit. So...toot.

Asylum626.com Movie Trailer is in Theaters Now

2009-09-19T05:14:00.000-07:00

In step with the tone of the newest Doritos installment of the Hotel626.com , Asylum626.com, which is being promoted like a movie, has its trailer playing in movie theaters across the country. Although only :30 in length and hence much shorter than the average trailer, it's obviously a trailer nonetheless. True to it's horror-ific style, it can be found before playing before the following box office releases:
A movie about how hot it is when Megan Fox does anything, including eating you. I'd let her devour me. Yes, I mean it like that. And like that. A touching tale about coming-of-age, sisterhood and botched murder. Scariest thing about this movie is Rumor Willis' Jay Leno-esque chin, no contest.
I have no snarky comment. This looks legitimately frightening.
Matt Damon + mustache = bloodbath...of laughs! Bring the whole family!

If you're planning on seeing any of these movies in the next week, get there early and behold the bone-chilling Asylum626.com trailer, then pull your thumb out yo' mouth and grow up! Sissy.

Asylum626.com: How To Unlock The Last Scene(s)

2009-09-19T04:58:00.000-07:00

I woke up to find an email from a guy named Cody asking me what he was supposed to do at the last scene of Asylum626, when you are left at a screen of flickering televisions. As I mentioned in my last Asylum626 post, this year the Doritos Horror experience integrates Doritos into the story a lot more.

So in order to move on, you'll need to get a bag of the limited edition Flavor Graveyard chips- I believe the flavors are Black Pepper and Cheddar Bacon (can anyone confirm these?). There is an icon on the bag that unlocks the experience, but you didn't hear that from me (wink wink, nudge nudge, get a bag).

Another spoiler (not really) to look out for. The whole experience is in first person and like last year the sight cleverly integrates your webcam, so take those two things into consideration and play around (and let me know what you find).

Asylum 626: Hotel 626's Uglier, Scarier Evil Twin

2009-09-18T19:52:00.000-07:00

That's right- it's baaaaaaack. Take this moment to put on some dirty drawers because once again, you're about to shit your pants.

Asylum626 is the follow up to last year's Hotel626, a site I had extreme love and hate for. I loved it because it was an advanced online experience, utilizing your webcam and microphone, made calls to your phone and even haunted your Twitter.

I hated it because of the repeated nights of bed wetting and resulting soiled sheets.

Well that was merely the beginning. Asylum626 is less game and more engrossing experience. Like the above video trailer shows, it's really more of an interactive movie than anything else. The first person experience puts you back in harms way, this time without an ounce of control as you're tied down to a lab table and Doctors fuck with you. Let me use more colorful language- they REALLY fuck with you- stuffing tubes down your throat, inducing schizophrenic dreams and taking a buzz saw to your skull.

Oh yeah, and this is a site for Doritos. Just in case the aforementioned description didn't tip you off. Although this year the experience calls for you to have a bag of Doritos to finish the experience or at least have the icon on the back of the bag (wink wink to everyone playing in Indonesia!).

One last thing to note- this year, Asylum626 doesn't just screw with you, it screws with your friends. Sign in with Twitter AND Facebook and watch your friendships fall apart. That's all I'm saying...

I'm done writing, I'm pooping myself just thinking about it. Here are some screenshots. Go check it out immediately and let me know how you do. They're are some secrets that take a few times to figure out but once you do, it's bat-shit crazy.

Check out Asylum626.com
Relive the nightmare at Hotel626.com

Music in Nature

2009-09-18T11:02:00.000-07:00

A clever observation yields a surprisingly sweet groove

Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.

mpME: m83- m83

2009-09-17T19:59:00.000-07:00

I consider myself a fan of these frenchman, but it hasn't been until recently that I've really explored their earlier work that predated their breakout record Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts. I'm talking about the self-titled record from 2001. The productions don't yet featured the flush emotion of Before The Dawn Heals Us yet the energy is there, existing more like a introverted weed haze mixed with one too many talls boys, so you're feeling something, but you're far too self aware and feeling the awkward pangs from the high. But it's that uncomfort that delivers the atmosphere. Maybe the feeling I'm grasping for is adolescence (but all I can remember are the nearer, beer-tinged years of my modern youth). It's that excitement mixed with uncertainty- the emotion that was perfectly captured in Saturday = Youth. Yet here it's even rawer (yes, rawer). I am beginning to suspect that for all the shit we give frenchman, it may be because they are able to comprehend the human condition on a plane beyond that which we set in the states. That is a lofty assumption, but test me on this- go introduce yourself to a frenchman sometime so and tell me they don't possess a little of that wunderlust, er uh tend to trip the light fantastic, or umm...whatever french people say.

In any case, enough of my babble, interpret the tunes as best you would.

M83

ReadWriteWeb's Top 5 Web Trends of 2009

2009-09-14T22:24:00.001-07:00

ReadWriteWeb's Top 5 Web Trends in 2009

View more presentations from Richard MacManus.

MasterCard Priceless Picks iPhone App

2009-09-08T12:46:00.001-07:00

New York Nearest Subway augmented Reality App for iPhone 3GS from acrossair

2009-09-04T14:23:00.001-07:00

TAT augmented ID

2009-09-03T11:18:00.001-07:00

It keeps getting crazier. Now people can find out more about you via AR on their phone. Very Clever idea and puts even more weight into having well established social network footprints.