Buy a Viral Concept

Viral idea on Ebay

This is a great idea.
Viral agency AsaBailey have thought up a very daft, but clearly popular viral story idea (Posh goes shoplifting, is knocked over by a bus when she tries to escape), and are selling the concept on Ebay to anyone who is wants it to be a film for their product. The offer includes the URL being shown thoughout the film.
As they put it:

Your logo will be displayed at the start of our film and at the end providing excellent exposure for your brand. Your web address will be shown across the bottom of the film, making it highly visible throughout the entire film. This will drive awareness of your online offering and brand increasing traffic to your web site, while building further brand awareness and possibly direct online sales.
As well as your web address and logo being shown around our next film, your brand and company details will be included in our efforts to promote the film though online media and blogs, and offline press and media. This will build a buzz about your brands involvement with the film driving yet more brand awareness your way.

At the time of writing the page has been seen by just over a thousand people, and the bid is currently at £235 (reserve not met). Expect lots of tabloid coverage, spoof bids etc, and then an incredibly successful viral.

Tagging

43 Things - What do you want to do?

Tagging is effectively a human version of the section on shopping sites where they say 'people who bought Snoop Dogg also bought The Kills' or whatever. Except that tagging relates people by their interests.
Currently making waves in this area is 43 things , a site owned by/funded by Amazon.
One you join, you list your goals in life. It then allows you to look up who has the same goals as you. Pretty pointless if what you want to do is buy a new hat, but if you want to visit Japan, or do something political you can easily find people who are likeminded. You can also look for aims related to yours, for inspiration.
It's a neat idea, and the site allows you to see a Zeitgeist of what the most popular aims are that day.
It's obviously very much in it's infancy (10,000 registered users worldwide) - but the potential in terms of creating a global community (or, arguably, re-claimin the internet for sad geeks) is enormous.

Those Virals Keep Getting Weirder...

Who Ordered Room Service?

Virals keep getting weirder, keep pushing the boundaries of taste and crassness, to try to get people to take an interest.

Watch this one

Then ask yourself:
- Who was it for?
- Did that surprise me?
- Will I remember it?
- Does it increase my likelihood to buy the product?
- Does it make me have more respect for the product?
- How would the traditional target market respond to the ad?
- Or is is a hoax - can we tell any more?

I'll take it as a given that you will think about the product in a new way.

Google Maps

Google Maps Search

Recently I wrote about A9, the local search engine from Amazon.

Now here comes Google, with Google Maps. Sadly you don't get photos of the streets with this, but you do get to see exactly where your search result is on the map (sadly US only), then zoom in and out, drag the map in all directions, and get route details from other points.

Again, try to have a play using 'Pizza' and the Zip code 90210

Honda FR-V Homepage

FR-V Homepage

W&K have created a new site for Honda's FR-V. One of the quirks about the FR-V is that it allows 3 passengers to sit side-by-side on the bench seats. This forms the basis of the site - mum, dad, and the child are shown as different coloured circles, and they are seen doing different things together, in and out of their car in tis cutesy way. The dog is a brown rectangle. Have a play - try taking them to the beach. You can also order a free sing-along CD.

This is a really creative, well-thought-out site, and vaguely reminds me of the Vauxhall Miriva concept from last year. Both great fun, and both allow kids (of all ages) to try painting the cars.

Site created by Midas Collective

Nike Soccer - Brazilian Team

New Nike Football Site - every Brazillian cliche you've ever seen...