Conan O'Brien's farewell speech from The Tonight Show

Well said, a real class act.

Online campaigns that had to be pulled

There's a great article by Rich Cherecwich from imediaconnection.com that showcases 6 online campaigns that had to be pulled. Here's just two of the offenders. For a complete list and all the reasons why, go here.

Offender: World Wildlife Foundation Brazil

Campaign: "Tsunami" video



What were they thinging?




Offender: Microsoft

Campaign: Internet Explorer 8's Barf-A-Rama



Can vomit really sell anything?

Read and see more here.

Mountain Dew social media experiment

Wired.com reports that Mountain Dew is using crowdsourcing to not just pick a new flavour, but naming it, designing the can to even picking the agency to promote it. The campaign, which started in July, has been all over the social media landscape, using Facebook, Twitter, UStream, 12seconds, YouTube and other services to draw people in to the competition, and create “Flavor Nations” fighting for supremacy of their favorite new Dew. They claim “It’s really all about the dialog,” said Brett O’Brien, Mountain Dew’s Director of Marketing. “We get to understand what [consumers] want, and put our own thoughts and ideas into it to really create a great product together.” But I wonder if this is the future of product development or just a passing fad?

Here's the article from Wired.

BumpTop for Mac

…a brand new way to look at your Mac desktop.



I've just downloaded it.. so far the cool (and usefullness) factor is high.

--- update ---

The program just crashed --- guess still some bugs to work out. Will give it another try as I certainly see its value.

Lego CL!CK - find your inspiration

Visit the site here.

Nikon Coolpix -a camera that projects images too

The Nikon Coolpix is a new digital camera that not only takes photos or video, but also can project images over a surface. A person could have a lot of fun with this.

Found via adverblog




Digital Camera Video - More amazing video clips are a click away

A strange but interesting way to promote in, from Japan

Interactive Commercials Show Strong Early Results

Use your remote to interact with ads on your TV? It happening right now in test markets and indications are viewers are engaging with it. CLick for a free coupon, more information or product samples were tested and could be the way to merge the internet with TV. These test markets were in New York, Connecticut and the New Jersey area

According to an article in Advertising Age, Benjamin Moore paint, for example, received more than 25,000 requests for product samples during the crucial early fall time period, the last time of the year most consumers in the Northeast are in the market for home renovation materials until the spring. Because the product samples had to be redeemed in stores, the company was able to quantify the campaign's impact on store traffic. In fact they had difficulties keeping up with the demand and suspended it for a few days to get some more resources involved.

Are Interactive Commercials the future? Read more about the testing in the article from Advertising Age.

Renowned Venezuelan music director Antonio Delgado joins the NBYO

The following article is from today's Times & Transcript

For tickets to the show go here or visit the NBYO site.

Prepare to be dazzled.

That's the promise from the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra for music lovers who attend its 2010 season opener tomorrow in Moncton.

From the classics, to Broadway to lively Latin music, the Wesleyan Celebration Centre will resonate with the sounds of the 70-piece orchestra under the direction of long-time conductor and music professor emeritus James Mark.

Guest conductor for the evening is renowned Venezuelan music director Antonio Delgado, who is in Moncton working with the NBYO's Sistema New Brunswick music education program, developed in his home country. Delgado is also the music director of Teatro TereseCarreno, the largest art centre in Latin America.

Classic works on the program include compositions by Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera, as well as a Latin piece, Danzon No. 2, arranged by Marquez.

A group of local high school music students will perform as an ensemble in the lobby of the Celebration Centre after the concert as part of an experiment involving the NBYO organization and the School District 2 to offer enhanced music training and opportunities. Some will also have the chance to sit in the orchestra during its afternoon rehearsal. School District 2 represents English-language schools in southeastern New Brunswick.

NBYO president Ken MacLeod says part of the NBYO's mission is to inspire excellence through learning and performing, to allow the young musicians to be the best they can be while engaging as many youngsters as possible at every level. Orchestra members range in age from 11 to 22 years of age.

As part of the orchestra, he says, they learn important life lessons; from the value of hard work and determination to reinforcing the virtues of mutual respect and team work, as well as building confidence and self-esteem, all while honing their musical skills.

MacLeod calls the NBYO one of the "most distinguished orchestras in Canada," but that's more than just a 'proud father' talking. The orchestra has the accolades to back up the boast.

The NBYO earned the national Betty Webster Award from Orchestras Canada for its outstanding contribution through leadership, education and volunteerism. It was also awarded New Brunswick's Lieutenant-Governor's Dialogue Award which honours role models who champion the principles of harmony and respect between the province's English- and French-speaking communities, the only award of its kind in Canada.

It has been invited to perform at New York City's prestigious Carnegie Hall, at the Auditorium Paganini in Parma, Italy and, in 2007, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, during its Forbidden City Tour.

These are world-class performance stages whose audiences came out to hear New Brunswick youth perform, MacLeod says, providing extraordinary opportunities to showcase the calibre of talent of these young musicians.

The orchestra has also produced three CDs and its first DVD was created at the Blues on the Boulevard concert last year.

The NBYO has performed for Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and given a world-premiere performance of the St. Croix Island Suite in a 2004 concert commemorating the arrival of French settlers in St. Croix.

The orchestra also took the stage at the 2008 East Coast Music Awards, where it won the award for Classical Recording of the year, and opened the 2009 Ford World Men's Curling Championships in Moncton.

MacLeod is convinced the NBYO has played an important part in raising awareness of orchestral and classical music in New Brunswick, citing the growing number of patrons and the interest of youngsters wanting to learn music and join the orchestra.

In 2002, the NBYO played to a total of about 1,500 people. Last year, audiences totalled more than 15,000, MacLeod said.

Part of the reason behind its burgeoning popularity is innovative programming, like the March 2009 Blues on the Boulevard concert which featured blues artist and songwriter Matt Andersen and Acadian quartet Les Muses.

The concert site was filled, MacLeod said, and many of those who came to hear Andersen and Les Muses left with a whole new appreciation of orchestral music, vowing to return.

Close to half of the orchestra is from or studies in southeastern New Brunswick. Thousands of N.B. youngsters have belonged to the orchestra since its launch in 1965, making it the oldest of Canada's youth orchestras. Scores of young hopefuls audition every year for a seat in the orchestra. NBYO executive director Don Matheson said the NBYO is "blessed with talent," as is the province.

"There is a treasure trove of talent" across New Brunswick, he says. "People are coming out of the shows dazzled. They had no idea" of the calibre and talent and the richness of the musical program.

And talent isn't confined to those with means, Matheson said.

"It's a wonderful community equalizer and development opportunity."

Matheson described part of the NBYO's mission as social outreach through music, providing opportunities where none would otherwise be likely. "It's a magnificent obsession," he said.

Many of the performers will go on to study music after they leave the orchestra. But, if they don't, their lives will have been enriched as a result of the educational, cultural and social experiences, Matheson said.

The orchestra's next scheduled concerts are Feb. 7 at the Imperial Theatre in Saint John and March 14 at The Playhouse in Fredericton.

Is social media at risk?

I seem to be seeing more and more people (articles) talking about the demise of Social Media, and the notion that people are rebelling against. As a result there is now an app for that (of course).


Enter the Web 2.0 Suicide Machine. As the site explains: This machine lets you delete all your energy sucking social-networking profiles, kill your fake virtual friends, and completely do away with your Web2.0 alterego.



So if you are tired of being on line and want to meet your real neighbours, visit the site and pull the plug.

Wanna read more about the potential demise of social media here and here.