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Posted June 5th, 2008 by Kristin
So my highly esteemed colleague Scott IMed me a link this morning to a YouTube video, Interactive Card Trick. At first I got caught up in the trick, which I proudly recognized was one I had fallen for in an email my sister Kim sent me last year. As you probably already know, Scott didn’t send it to me because of the trick, and of course, he already knew how the trick works. (I have an annoying tendency to be slow on the uptake.) It’s the interactive component that makes this simple video noteworthy. Just think of what that means for videos we create with our clients moving forward. Awesome creative possibilities!
Posted April 14th, 2008 by Kristin
Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan has her own YouTube account. On March 30, she posted her first video which already has 1,261,389 views. She believes YouTube is a great platform for dialogue and has asked that viewers respond with their questions and stereotypes of the Arab world so that she and other YouTubers can address them.
It’s not uncommon these days for people in the political realm to jump on the YouTube bandwagon claiming they want to start a dialogue. I find most of them lacking in charisma and authenticity. However, I’m intrigued by Queen Rania. Yes, it no doubt helps that she is quite stunning. But she’s also renowned for her advocacy for women’s rights and her philanthropic work in education reform. I hope she openly and informally responds to viewer’s questions. Misconceptions of the Arab world abound. If she truly invests in cultivating a discussion with YouTubers, she may be able to help break down some of those stereotypic walls.
Posted February 6th, 2008 by Kristin
So it’s no secret that I’m a Brookers fan. This morning I watched her latest vlog in which she questions the authenticity of YouTuber Magibon. Magibon claims to be 21 years old on her account. No way. Maybe she’s 13. Her videos are short and quirky. I’m guessing she’s speaking in Japanese. The language doesn’t matter – her eyes and innocent yet somewhat revealing tops do the communicating. What’s really creepy is a site supposedly created by a fan of Magibon’s: www.magibon.com. Like Brookers, I suspect this is a marketing set up for an upcoming film a la Blair Witch meets LonelyGirl17. If it’s not a marketing set up, that Frank guy should be hunted down and arrested, because hello, that’s no fan site.
Which leads me to the question, when do these hoaxes cross the line? Right now this Magibon set up seems like something straight out of Law & Order SVU. How do we know when to legitimately be concerned?
Posted December 28th, 2007 by Kristin
On December 13, ad agency Arnold announced the start of “a viral video series which gives the agency’s perspective on current trends, happenings and important issues in the world of advertising.” They call it Arnold On.
It amuses me that they’re calling it a “viral video series.” A viral video is one that is passed along from user to user (usually because it’s funny or really cool). However, it’s immediately apparent how un-viral the Arnold On videos are, without any regard to the content. There is no “send to a friend” or “forward” functionality. You can’t embed the video on your blog or profile page (not that I imagine the demand to do so is high). Users are instead asked to keeping coming back for updates, which for now involves going to www.arnoldworldwide.com and finding Arnold On under the Our Agency section of the nav. Sure… that’s likely to get tons of repeat traffic.
What should they do with Arnold On? For starters, turn it into a video blog. Allow and encourage comments and feedback. Give it a unique url and/or feature it more prominently on the website. Oh, and if they want it to be “viral,” make it easy for users to pass it along. Duh.
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