Our Five Things You Might Have Missed List

Here’s our weekly list of juicy social media marketing tidbits, fascinating advertising oddities and inspired ideas that might have flown past you this week. Read, enjoy and pass it on.

• Salvation Army Attacks with Surprise Catwalk: Here’s a bit of genius guerilla marketing from Norway. During Oslo’s Fashion Week, Fretex, the country’s secondhand clothing store chain that benefits Salvation Army, set up a surprise catwalk at the exit of a busy subway station. Unsuspecting commuters were turned into models and thrust onto the runway. The models were rewarded with gift cards to Fretex while fashion show attendees were encouraged to donate to the store. This is the kind of campaign we can get behind – stylish, smart and sustainable.
• The Agony of No Tweet: We had our doubts about the Digital Death Campaign launched by Alicia Keys and other celebs in honor of World AIDS Day. The movement, wherein celebs silenced themselves on social media, failed to bring in big bucks or any interest. While the idea from Keys and Co. was a daring one, perhaps we care less about the tweets by stars than they thought we would. Regardless, any money raised is a good thing and the initiative taught us that Twitter fundraisers have a long way to go until they rake in the cash like the traditional methods do.
• Fire and Bling-stone: It’s been awhile since we’ve found a truly whacked out local advertisement. Thankfully, the folks at The Consumerist hooked us up with this gem. Please note the utter lack of irony in this commercial for LTD Jewelers as Larry Falter pretty much says the end is near but here’s 50 percent off of all our jewelry.
• A Florida Pound Bites Back: Here’s a nonprofit social media campaign that does work. Down2Zero, which promotes Jacksonville, Florida’s Animal Care and Protective Services, is a gutsy campaign that is trying to get all of the facility’s 100 adoptable pets into homes. And thanks to an aggressive social media presence and clever marketing, the plan is working.
• A Viral Video Love Letter: Maybe it’s the holidays or maybe we’re just feeling gushy, but when we read this story we couldn’t help but say “Awwww!” Director Walter May teamed up with indie band The Daylights to send his long distance girlfriend a video love letter she was to find on her own. Thanks to May’s Twitter efforts, she found the video and the band has received massive publicity, too. It’s a romance made in marketing heaven.