Archive for the ‘Unusual’ Category

OK, so this isn’t a tip, a trick, or a time-saver, but if you like to keep in touch with the music of the moment (or you are just a Coldplay fan) you might find the above video interesting.
Admittedly, it is based on the US billboard charts, but given US and UK cultures seem to be merging closer and closer together, you should recognise a fair few of the tunes! *

* disclaimer – subject to your age and interest in popular music!

Head on over to Lifehacker for a track listing… and if you are so ‘out of touch’ that you don’t know what a mashup is – you can take a look at this definition

Can’t see the video? Watch it on YouTube

Arrrrrgh… it’s one of those phrases that really winds us up when we hear it, yet ocassionally (and embarassingly) we sometimes find ourselves uttering the very same words… “At the end of the day”. And yes, we’ve also been known to utter that classic “it isn’t rocket science“.

Well, we’re ging to try our very best to stop using these expressions… as a recent poll by Oxford University has highlighted them as some of the most annoying out there.

And if a point were to be proven about how annoying and overused “At the end of the day” can be, then you need look no further than this compliation video!

Can’t see the video? Click here to view it on YouTube.

So, in the future, you might want to be careful about the language you use in your marketing materials.
Avoiding these cliches isn’t rocket science you know! (damn… we just did it again!).

Via Lifehacker and The Telegraph

See if you can guess what the ad below is for.
We won’t spoil it by telling you the answer, suffice to say we think it a highly effective piece of creative.

Can’t see the video? Click here to watch it on YouTube.

We’re assuming that most of our readers are aware of something called Google streetview by now (if not, then where have you been?). Anyway, as you will (or won’t) know… it’s a handy feature of Google maps that allows you to view 360 degree panoramas of a particular street or location… all very cool stuff!

Google streetview started in the US a year or so ago… and up until now, only a few major cities across Europe have been photographed.

In order to create the interactive panoramas, Google have invested in a number of especially adapted (rather wacky looking) vehicles with something that looks like a cross between a PA system and a speed camera strapped to the roof. Eagle eyed spotters might have seen some of these cars in the UK … and the good news is that in time, all of the major cities (and maybe a few of the minor ones) will be snapped.

Whilst the UK version of streetview hasn’t officially been released, a new site has been launched that uses the technology (we think it might actually be Google behind the site… using it as a testbed prior to a full launch).

So if you fancy yourself as a budding taxi driver, or you’d simply like to take a virtual tour  of London, then why not visit the Seety site? Once there, simply click on the street you would like to view and interactive photo will pop up.

If you’d like to know more about streetview, you can check out the video tutorial below. We’re not big fans of lycra, we’re not fans or the colour orange… and we’re especially not fans of orange lycra, but if you can stomach the presenter’s tight fitting outfit, then it’s not a bad intro!

Via the Londonist

We’ve brought you some interesting marketing ideas in the past (one of our favourites being the escalator advertising)… but we’re not overly sold on this concept from deodorant brand ‘Right Guard’.

Clearly it’s just a PR stunt… designed to get people talking. In that respect, it has worked (we’re writing about it here after all).

Brand owners Procter & Gamble might want to work on their site rankings though… a UK Google search for ‘Right Guard’ brings up a security company offering burly bouncers door staff.

Another example of an unusual product… bacon in a can!
We guess there must be a market for it somewhere!

Get yours now from MREdepot.com

via Gizmodo

We never thought we would see the day where one of our headlines included the word ‘wheelbarrow’… and certainly not in the same sentence as the word ‘extreme’ (or ‘xtreme’ for that matter), but hey, life is full of surprises!

The clip is a couple of years old, but we haven’t seen it before. We’re not sure whether this is a serious sport, but one thing is for sure… do something a bit different, post it on the web, and you will certainly get noticed!

via Core 77

When it comes to marketing, the ‘gift with purchase’ mechanic has been around for many decades (think free toys inside cereal packets). An enterprising car dealer in the USA has taken things a stage further however, with a high profile ‘guns or gas’ campaign. Simply purchase a new car, and claim your free gun or gas!

Whilst we don’t subscribe to the idea of free weapons, we have to give ‘Max Motors’ credit for devising such a clever PR stunt (gaining coverage on several TV stations, and across the internet).

The moral of the story? PR does not have to be expensive. If an idea is topical, unusual, or newsworthy, then it’s quite possible you will have people scrambling all over your business to tell your tale!

Max Motors

via BBC News

What better way of drawing attention to yourself than ‘tapping in to’ a controversial topic or current affair? That’s exactly what Manchester band “The Get Out Clause” have done, using CCTV as their ‘headline’. This is another great example of getting great PR for minimal investment (the simple ideas often being the best). We expect that this video will turn up in current affairs programs in the future, further raising the bands profile.

Via The Telegraph

PS. We think the music sounds a lot like Coldplay… or is that just our imagination working wild?

Here’s a bit of Friday fun…
What do you think is currently one of the most viewed clips on YouTube?

A campaign against the continued occupation of Iraq?
A speech by Hilary Clinton?
A free Tibet campaign by the Dalai Lama?

Actually, it’s none of the above! Surprisingly enough, it’s a short clip about the UK’s new space agency (UKSA) and their new rocket launcher (currently being built in Cumbria). Click here to view the clip.

OK, so we may not have been entirely honest about the contents of that clip (as far as we know, there’s no such thing as UKSA!). We’ve instead just engaged you in a new internet phenomenon called ‘rickrolling’… where users are directed to a video clip of Rick Astley instead of whatever they were expecting (we hope you liked the video by the way).

Simply search for ‘Rick Astely’ in Youtube, and you will see that his videos are currently attracting (literally) millions of hits. Whilst this might just be a ‘fad’ it further demonstrates the power of the internet… and just how quickly a trend can spread.

Whilst no product is being promoted in this instance, we’re pretty sure Mr Astley can expect an increase in royalties over the next few months!

Via The Times

Image by xamad

We’ve come across some truly awful promotional videos in our time, but the one below really takes the biscuit! We can’t think of anyone in the UK that might want to attach such a product to their own car, but the ‘Dub pimpstar wheels’ could (in theory) be put to use on a promotional vehicle.

Dub pimpstar wheels

Sorry about the dreadful pun, but we had to get your attention somehow… rather like this unusual marketing idea for a hairdressers. Personally, we prefer the screens at Tottenham Court Road tube station, but (like it or loathe it) you can’t dispute the simplicity and effectiveness of the ‘escalatising’ (and yes, we did just make that word up).

via Gizmodo

Here’s an interesting idea from Japan… an interactive ‘fishing’ game for your mobile phone. Catch a fish in the game, and a local fish wholesaler will deliver the real thing to your doorstep (just make sure you’re going to be at home when you play the game… otherwise things might get a bit whiffy!). Although somewhat bizarre, we think this a great idea! At the very least, it’s an interesting way to engage consumers with your brand (whilst attracting some free PR to boot).

via gizmodo