Monthly Archives: November 2006

Nov 07

Chevy Life – more living in cars

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There’s obviously something in the air, maybe the high property prices, but, following Nissan, another car manufacturer has decided that their vehicles are perfect to live in.  This time it is Chevy, who are running the ‘Aveo Livin’ Large Campus Challenge‘.  I’m late on this as it finished last week,

The “AVEO Livin’ Large Challenge” is a nationwide program in which two students on eight different campuses are living in the big and roomy interior of a Chevy AVEO from Oct. 30th – Nov. 3rd, competing to see who can “live the largest.”

With only class- and bio-breaks, these students, through Web cams, blogs and a highly visible location, are spending their entire week in full view of their campus peers as well as students across the country.

Who wins is determined by YOU. Watch, Predict, Vote.

They put the teams through a series of challenges, videoed them, got them blogging throughout the week and then got people to vote for the teams via text (not sure if via the site as well).   It’s hitting a lot of the right buttons for a digital interactive campaign here and from appearances, it got some traction.

Looking at the product site, I’m guessing the college student is one of their key targets.  A entry level car (I guess, cars not being my thing really), they hit 7 large potential markets and generate a lot of buzz about the car, (technorati search).   We’ll probably get a few more of these types of campaigns in the next few months, each slightly more outrageous than the last.

Nov 07

Cheques and Checks

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Changing countries brings with it a set of cultural changes that sometimes have you shaking your head.   The last few days it’s been over cheques (or checks if you prefer).   To enable me to be paid directly into a bank account I needed to fill in a form – and provide them Payroll with a ‘voided check’.   Never mind I can’t remember the last time I used a cheque, why do I need to provide them with something that gives the same information as on the form I’m filling in.  At least I assume it does, I don’t actually have a bank account yet to compare.   Apparently I’ll get lots of them though; I popped into a bank to get details of an account and the top benefit of the deal that they were trying to sell was apparently the large number of checks that I would get.   How about debit cards and online banking (I need a credit rating for credit cards which will be a while)?   No problem with those, she said, but most people seemed to want checks.

Confusion reigned at the company orientation this morning as myself and a Canadian tried to get our heads round 401k’s, health insurance, co-pays, deductions pre-tax and post-tax, elegibility etc.   We both came to the conclusion that in some cases it would be easier (if not necessarily cheaper) to fly back to our respective countries of origin to get health care.  Far less paperwork even if the US government decides to put everyone on the no-fly list and makes you get permission to leave.

One further bemusing thing today was wandering round supermarkets trying to stock up on some staples, or at least staples in the way I cook.  Chicken stock cubes – no, need to get powdered chicken bouillon.   Tinned tomatoes – well, there’s one type hidden amongst all the varieties of tomato ‘sauce’ (not the Heinz or Daddies type).  Tuna – well there’s some hidden amongst the albacore.   Finally shower gel – one variety only.

Nov 02

Cable troubles

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Setting up the new apartment I have had two very different customer service experiences from the facilities suppliers.   On ringing up ConEd, the electricity/gas supplier, they had no problem in changing over the account into my name.  Time Warner cable on the other had will do nothing until the previous tenant remembers to cancel their account or I send them a notorised copy of the lease.  Can’t they just chase up their own customers..I want to pay them moeny, I’m new, I’m voluteering to pay them but they don;t appear to want my money.

Nov 02

Make a Superbowl Ad

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The US’ NFL are runnng a competition this year to have their Superbowl ad created by a fan.   Interestingly, they are not jumping onto the ‘upload your video’ bandwagon but making peotential ad writers turn up and audition in person. (although, given the rules of the pitch, I think they should have allowed video presentations)
Auditions are running at three locations in the US, 2 days for each, and they are planning on seeing 2000 people at each location.  Everyone gets 90seconds to make their pitch and gets scored on

  • connection to NFL football
  • commercial appeal
  • originality and creativity

The tie breaker is based on emotional connection.   Each audition will be taped and you have to agree to allow the audition tape to be placed on the web for viewing and voting.   The NFL are not paying anything for people to travel to the auditions and are not paying people for their time or creativity.  But they are going to be taking all rights to the concept that you show them, regardless of whether it gets picked.   So by travelling at your own expense to the audition, waiting for up to 2 days in the hope of being seen, the NLF take the copyright to your idea just by you standing up for 90seconds.

Furthermore, by being videotaped you are allowing signing away your right to dignity:

I understand that, as part of the Contest, the public may vote on my Concept after viewing a video of my participation in the Contest over on the Internet or otherwise. This may result in the public disclosure of my appearance, name, likeness, voice, conversation, biographical data and other information about me, including that which is of a personal, private, embarrassing or unfavorable nature, which may expose me to public ridicule, humiliation or condemnation. 

Even after all of this, they reserve the right to not make or show any of the ideas that have been presented, even though they now own them for all time.  Crowdsourcing at its worst.

Nov 02

University Challenge Questions

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Dave has picked up on one of the latest questions from University Challenge:

“What XML formatted files are used on web sites to provide machine readable content summaries and are often visually marked with an orange box?”

In this case the students apparently got the answer correct. However a few weeks ago they asked:

“What colour is the letter ‘l’ in the Google logo.

and they got it wrong, answering blue. The series is getting far too web friendly 😉

Nov 01

Timewasters from unusual sources

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It’s not just the big brands that need marketing, small ones, organisations, groups, sports all need the marketing love as well. And they’ve all heard the call of the viral, hoping it can be the answer to their prayers. Today I bring you some timewasting games to hurry you through your working day from the British Greyhound Racing Board and the Science Museum (and they are British based as that’s the mail-list I’m signed up for; still not found a US version)

British Greyhound Racing Board

Premise: race your bi-plane around your greyhound track of choice made out of circles in the sky.

FunFactor: medium. It takes a fair bit of work to get round (ie I never made it) but the graphics and game play are good.

Incentive: no idea. There’s a prize draw of somekind. However, iy you do actually click though to the main site (which is not as much fun) you can also get a voucher for a free pint if you give them your email address.
Why: to get you to go to the races. I can see the link – have fun online, have fun at the track. But the experience when you go through to the main site is not carried through, it needs to be less jarring and the racing board site needs to be a lot better.

Bought to you by Rubber Republic

Greyhound Racing

Science Museum

Premise: Pong, in flash, with cars and supermarket trollies

FunFactor: It’s Pong. What more do you want

Incentive: A Nintendo Wii and 20% of ticket price (if you send it on)

Why: The Science Museum has an exhibition about the history of computer games. And it’s got lots of games to play to suit all ages. The game is well integrated into the main site, which tells you all about the exhibition.

Bought to you by:Stickee who need to fix the link to their site from the game!

Pong