SOCIAL MEDIA CASE STUDIES [DEC-10-GB_V18.0]

T-Mobile is using their "Life's for Sharing" YouTube channel to spread the word on their new campaign. Their viral video, "Welcome Back," has over 4.5 million views.  - YouTube 

New Media author and thought leader Brian Solis shares his experience as a guest on Lexus's new social web series, "Darkcasting." -  Brian Solis 

OfficeMax is continuing their "ElfYourself" holiday campaign this year that allows fans to upload pictures and share their personalized video creations with friends - DM News 

Since the launch of their Facebook eGifts, coupons, and contests, Cold Stone Creamery has been able to link their social media presence directly with sales - Social Media Examiner 

Target, Best Buy, Home Depot, Sears, and Staples were amongst the top retailers to promote their Black Friday deals through Twitter - ClickZ 

Procter & Gamble is pushing its Children's Safe Drinking Water program with a contest to recruit women bloggers to help inspire others to take action for the cause - Promo Magazine 

Intel shares how they're creating, funding, and managing their social media strategy - eMarketer 

RIM and Kraft Foods are finding success using simple conversations to engage with their fans on Twitter and Facebook - Ad Age 

As playoff season approaches, Allstate is launching a new social media campaign with the help of popular blogger Spencer Hall assisting football fans in their away-game travels.  - Allstate 

Wendy's campaign for their new fry recipe includes a "Fry for All" application that lets users "share" a box of fries with their friends on Facebook.  - NY Times 

Emerging Technology and Disruption – Case Studies - Goodbuzz 

When was the last time you increased positive brand sentiment, generated a measurable earned-media value, and gained more then 20,000 followers (with whom you can now follow up with) – for FREE? See how brands are redefining ‘relevance’ -http://bit.ly/gMwNVa 

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AND DISRUPTING THE STATUS QUO

As a tribute to some of our favourite past digital campaigns that disrupted the status quo, we've compiled the following.  Note that the years represent when they were introduced to consumers.

CHALKBOT, 2009, for the Livestrong Foundation and Nike, by Wieden + Kennedy. Consumers used a Web site and social media to submit messages “of hope and inspiration” that were chalked onto the course of the Tour de France.

DOVE EVOLUTION, 2006, for the Dove brand sold by Unilever, by Ogilvy + Mather Worldwide, part of WPP. A commercial that began running online before it appeared on TV asked for a reassessment of traditional standards of beauty.

DREAM KITCHENS, 2005, for Ikea, by Forsman & Bodenfors. Ikea’s first online commercials presented 3-D renditions of six wish-list kitchens.

ECO DRIVE, 2008, for Fiat, by AKQA. Software that recorded driving habits and offered tips on efficiency.

HBO VOYEUR, 2007, for HBO, a division of Time Warner, by two agencies, the BBDO New York division of the Omnicom Group and Big Spaceship. Passersby on a Manhattan street were invited to watch the goings-on in eight faux apartments in a campaign that also included a Web site.

THE HIRE (aka BMW Films), 2001-2, for BMW, by Fallon Worldwide, part of the Publicis Groupe. Clive Owen played a mysterious driver in a series of shorts — or long commercials — directed by filmmakers like John Frankenheimer and Ang Lee.

NIKE PLUS, 2006, for Nike, by R/GA, part of the Interpublic Group of Companies. A Web site, heralded by Nike as an “online goal-tracking running motivator,” supports Nike Plus shoes, which are equipped with sensors that transmit data to iPods.

SUBSERVIENT CHICKEN, 2004, for Burger King, by Crispin Porter & Bogusky. To promote the TenderCrisp chicken sandwich, Burger King invited visitors to an oddball Web site to order a chicken to perform fanciful tasks.

UNIQLOCK, 2007, for Uniqlo, by Projector. A widget, or small application, bearing the brand of Uniqlo, the Japanese clothing retailer, offered computer users music, dance clips and a qlock — er, clock.

WHOPPER SACRIFICE, 2009, for Burger King, by Crispin Porter & Bogusky. The campaign asked Facebook users to give up 10 friends in exchange for coupons for free Whopper sandwiches. Facebook, which was not party to the campaign, pressured Burger King to end it early — perhaps generating more publicity than if it had run its course.

All the above campaigns leverage both new media and new technologies for “great storytelling” that rivals the stories told by ads in traditional media like television and print.  Viral, branded utility at it's best.