The Long Tail

This is an article that Andy Barefoot referred to the other week in a reply to one of my mailings.
It argues that the future of entertainment is the long tail at the end of the buying curve for currently obscure or out of favour items, and how word of mouth recommendations can suddenly ignite sales for these items (e.g. a large % of Amazon's sales are for items not available in bookshops). It also relates to The Tipping Point, the book that tried to identify how social & cultural phenomena happen.

The URL (http://www,thelongtail) leads to a blog - start reading the original Wired article at the bottom, and go on from there.

'Care of the Wild' Ads

Recent winners of the Epica Awards for best online ads.

Via Adverblog

Wonderful Life, in 30", enacted by bunnies

Does what it says on the tin...

Coca Cola Nordic Christmas Tournament

Lovely little site - with three great games

Guerrilla iPod Films - Pro and Anti

George Masters loves his Mini iPod so much that he made his own ad for it. I'm sure there are lots of things wrong with it from a creative point of view, and it obviously doesn't fit in with any strategy, but it's a very nice homage. I particularly like the kaleidoscope bit at the end.

Via Adrants

But let's not forget that it also works the other way. About this time last year this film was released online, complaining about iPod's Dirty Little Secret (low battery life)
http://www.ipodsdirtysecret.com/
It's now been seen by 1.6 million people, and led to Apple promoting an official battery replacement service.

Christmas Carol Viral

Ask the kids to sing you a carol...

Nike Basketball Game

LeBron James Basketball Game

Dog Judo for Virgin Mobile

New viral films for Virgin Mobile (although I've no idea what the link is with these films). Can I have some of what the makers of this are on please?
Created by 12foot6
More at Adrants

Sex Education for Teenagers

These may make you cross your legs...
Aimed at under 16s, and produced by the London agency Now Wash Your Hands , under the theme "Am I a freak?"
As Billy Connolly said "My first sexual experience was terrifying. It was dark, and I was on my own..."

Film for boys

Film for girls

Come Clean Viral

This is a new viral site for Method eco-friendly hand cleanser. You get to confess what you'd like to 'come clean' about, and read other people's.
E.g. -
"I trip people on the subway"
"I haven't changed my underwear in a week"
You get the picture... Also available as a screensaver.
Very clever way to promote a product that isn't exactly interesting or sexy.
From the people that brought us Subservient Chicken.
More at Adrants

More on iPod & U2 - the Digital Box Set

This is the way things will go with digital music - packaging things up together to enable a service like iTunes, normally used by people to selectively pick the songs that you want, and leave the fillers behind (essential in U2's case, I would have thought...), to let people buy EVERYTHING at a reduced price, plus exclusives, and even a digital booklet on PDF offering artwork, track listings, and band commentary.

Ebay Christmas Treasure Hunt

Christmas Treasure Hunt

Very good idea by Ebay:
They've hidden items thoughout their listings. Each day they give a clue, and in among the listings for that item there will be a free prize. E.g. (I've spent no time on this) today's clue of "Rudolph" could lead you to a prize in the categories for 'Red', 'Nose', 'Reindeer', 'Donner', 'Blitzen' etc.
A perfect way for Ebay to increase random searching, and also to increase their page impressions before the end of the year.

This is the life - Chivas Microsite

Promoted through The Economist

U2 Banner Example

Very nice use of the creative