DINU

Playin' in a DINU band

I haven’t written much about DINU – Deeply Immersive Narrative Universe – in a little while. For an explanation of the term, see the tab above. This is the ‘tour bus’ for a band called The Defibulators (sic). These guys are telling a story with what normally would be just a generic, behind-the-scenes element of being a... »

The Brand You is Dead. Long Live The Brand You Build.

In today’s hyper-connected, no-barrier-to-enty, Consumer-generated-content world it’s hard to escape the cult of Personal Branding. Everyone has a website, blog, Twitter account and Facebook page and they aren’t afraid to use them. But it seems to me we’ve reached an inflection point, and what was once smart move now feels self-congratulatory and driven more... »

Best of 2008? Try Compelling Content

Whether we’re looking a pictures of hunters and bison in the caves of Lascaux, or getting an inside peek at the lives of the folks at Sterling Cooper via Twitter, one thing has been a constant: Compelling content draws attention. The Washington Post just released their list of the Top Viral Videos of 2008.... »

Mad Men – Consumer Participation Continues To Fill The Void

By now you’ve read Bud Melman’s memo and seen the first two episodes of Digital Mad Men, the very clever appropriation by Allen Adamson of Landor. As we reach the end of the year, this whole thing really brings home some of the things I’ve focused on this year and some of the trends... »

We Are Sterling Cooper, He Is Bud Melman

As a follow up to a post I did last week regarding Mad Men on Twitter v. Digital Mad Men, and my participation in the former – the Behind The Scenes look at Mad Men on Twitter from actor/character Bud Caddell / Bud Melman is now available at WeAreSterlingCooper. It’s a very good read and if you... »

Mad Men on Twitter v. Digital Mad Men

Earlier this year, a bunch of clever folks got together to do something pretty cool: They brought the Emmy Award-winning show Mad Men to life on Twitter. It was great entertainment and spoke to the larger issues of Brand Hijacking, what sort of real ownership a creator has over their creations, and how consumers... »

Speaking DINU: Secret Languages of the Insider

Have you heard the Amen Break or the Wilhelm Scream? Maybe you’ve seen a film by Alan Smithee or eaten an In-n-Out Burger “Animal Style” and washed it down with a can of Heisler Beer. What do all these things have in common? They are all examples of the secret languages of subcultures and an important part to... »

City of Ember: A missed DINU opportunity

Late last week the marketers behind the City of Ember were pushing a commercial that featured Bill Murray, a star of the film, as a political candidate in a style very similar to traditional political ads we see today, complete with an “… and I approved this message,” ending. I’m not familiar with the City of Ember... »

I smell a trend: Narrative Perfume

As you know, I’m all about the Deeply Immersive Narrative Universe. For the most part, that includes seeing, hearing, touching and maybe tasting a brand. But not very often are the olfactory senses engaged to tell a story. Marketing opporunity? Some think so. Grant McCracken tips us of to Etat Libre D’Orange, a frangrance... »

Best Practices in Social Media

DJ Francis over at the OnlineMarketerBlog recently picked up the gauntlet thown down by Mitch Joel of Six Pixels of Separation to identify the Best Practices in Social Media. It’s a great idea as the medium is still so new, many people, and brands, are still trying to figure things out. I’m going to give you... »