5 Things for September 20: Kit Kat, James Franco and SMS

Hooray for Friday! If the week flew by and you wonder what the heck happened, fear not. We scooped up some of the most inspiring, most entertaining stories from the world of online marketing and put them on a little platter we like to call 5 Things You Might Have Missed. 

1.) Instagram Slam: In lieu of swirling rumors about his sexuality, actor James Franco did some of the best social media marketing of the year when he posted Perez Hilton-esque photos of himself on Instagram. The phony pictures are littered with Hilton’s signature Microsoft Paint graffiti. In one fell swoop, Franco managed to take a pointed and well-deserved jab at online gossip hounds while establishing himself and his brand as an online force to be reckoned with.

2) Hope Floats: We enjoy a twerking fail video just as much as anyone else. But we also love when online video creation can be used to enlighten us on campaigns helping make the world a better place. This video for Hope Soap, a campaign to help kids in South Africa remember to wash their hands, does precisely that. The project distributes bars of soap to areas in need. Each bar contains a must-have toy that kids can only get to once the bar is all gone. 

3.) The Power of 4: Kit Kat is suddenly the coolest candy bar on the planet. Not only did the brand recently pair with Google Android, it’s also come up with a mobile-centric site that has a good time making fun of smartphone and technology ads.

4.) SMS not RIP: If you’re looking to expand your mobile marketing efforts, this piece from ReadWrite might help fire your imagination. The post says that although overall text usage is down, SMS is still an incredibly effective way for brands to reach and touch followers. 

5.) Oodles of Doodles: Closing out the list this week is the Doodle Project. According to the New York Egotist, “The Doodle Project is a collaborative doodle video where each frame was passed on to a different illustrator, designer or artist.” The result is a mind-boggling and beautiful piece of video art that bridges the gap between design, advertising and online filmmaking.