I was on MSN this morning and was struck by how incredibly lame the Valentine’s theme for the day was and so I thought I would check out what Google had by comparison. I was greeted by Google’s new Valentine’s Day animated Doodle with Tony Bennett’s cover of Hank Williams’ ‘Cold Cold Heart’.
I wasn’t surprised that it was done well by Google but this just blows everything else they’ve done out of the water. Cheesy conversation hearts versus full animated video? No wonder Microsoft continues to lose the search game. Please take two minutes out of your day to check Google’s special message out.
Scandinavian Airlines recently released a campaign, Couple Up to Buckle Up, which uses QR codes to promote discounted flight offers for couples. This unique campaign requires collaboration between two individuals in order to receive the promotional price. When a couple is notified of a Couple Up to Buckle Up offer, they must both scan a QR code and hold their smartphones side by side to view a video. At the end of the video a discount code appears across both screens for the couple to use when they purchase their flight.
Pinterest, a social networking and virtual pin board site, has continually grown in popularity throughout the past year. While it is a great way for brands to subtly market their products, they may still have difficulty finding a way to market to a male-dominated audience. According to Experian Marketing Services, 58% of the people who visited Pinterest at the end of 2011 were women. Gentlemint may be the answer to this problem. It is a site very similar to Pinterest, only it is geared towards men. As stated on their website, “Gentlemint is a mint of manly things.” It will be interesting to see if this site takes-off with men just as Pinterest did with women.
Another nice social media campaign from MINI. The company has placed a MINI Countryman on a 15% downgraded slope held only by a thick rope with a large Bunsen burner placed directly under the rope. Once fans “like” the Facebook page they can watch the live installation and remotely ignite the flame from the campaign website. The consumer whose flame is the one that burns the rope wins the MINI Countryman.
The campaign demonstrates a great way to keep consumers actively involved. http://www.fantheflame.be
Google is still keeping it fresh — in the spirit of the Google “do a barrel roll,” the company has added another whimsical search result: Search the words “let it snow” and watch what happens.
Looking for a bit more fun? Type “askew” or type “Google Gravity” and click “I’m feeling lucky” to observe Google collapse before your very eyes.
