Hey everyone! It’s almost Christmas. 🎄 Hard to believe, right?
I want to apologize - I’m sorry I’m sending this out so late on Tuesday - not Monday per the norm. I’ve started a new role at work and I’m still trying to get used to my schedule.
However, it’s very important to me that you get my newsletter every Monday, forever. This is a one time thing, I promise! I’m not the type of person to start a project like this and walk away. Last week’s issue had the most opens I’ve ever seen - 80 - and I’m so thankful for you!
So - I’m including some extra fun links this week to make it up.
🐱 Cats Vs. Snapchat
A Cat themed Snapchat Filter has been confusing cats all over the world. Some wonder if this is a case of a cat passing the Mirror Test. Does the cat recognize itself in the phone camera - and notice that something is different about its owner in the phone? 🤔 It’s a good question!
Watch the video and judge for yourself. It definitely looks like the cat recognizes itself - and that something is very, very different about its owner.
Read more about it here!
Subscribe to Coca-Cola
I hardly ever drink soda anymore, but I got pretty excited about Coke’s new marketing campaign. Ever wanted to try new Coke products before everyone else? Well, about 1000 people got the chance to sign up for a Coca-Cola Subscription box.
That’s right! Coca-Cola launched a super exclusive $10 a month subscription box with new drinks and swag to 1000 lucky people.
Of course, this is a marketing gimmick - but it’s a very clever one. Everyone is up to their eyeballs in ads about subscription boxes, but what if it’s a box that gets you something you’d probably have bought anyway? like a Coke or any of Coca-Colas many products. (On a separate note, if you ever want to see how big of a company Coca-Cola really is, just look at all the companies they own. It’s pretty incredible). It’s a little easier to justify that kind of expense.
It’s only limited to 1000 people, so exclusivity plays a huge role in someone signing up. Anyone who buys one will most likely post it on social media - thus free advertising for new Coke products! 😃
1000’s of other people signed up for the waitlist (including me) so now Coca-Cola has a nice fresh email list for when they launch the next exclusive product.
If you have a business - and a loyal tribe of fans - I challenge you to think of a fresh way to get leads. What do you sell? How could you do something cool and exclusive that people would be interested in - and give you their email list if they’re too late to the party? 🤔 It’s worth considering.
Check it out at the link!
📱 The Most Memerific Samsung Ad
So, for this one - I’m not even going to say anything yet. I want YOU to watch this ad and form a personal opinion before we chat.
Let me know when you’re done.
Ok - now that you’ve watched it, you’re probably thinking “What the heck did I just watch?” Chaim Gartenberg over at Verge calls it “a deranged burst of meme energy.” (Read more here)
Don’t worry - that’s a normal reaction. However, if you’ve grown up watching TikToks and living on Instagram - this ad resonates a whole lot more with you - and it gets stuck in your head. There’s a lot of Meme elements that Gen Z and Millenials notice - and appreciate.
Memes are life, and Brands are FINALLY starting to take notice of the importance of viral videos.
I would love to know the Brand Lift results for this ad, honestly.
Awesome Screen. Awesome Camera. Long Lasting Battery Life. (You can hear the voice in your head, can’t you?).
What is the point of an ad if NOT to get stuck in your head? Isn’t that the point of an ad - to get stuck in your head like a virus, and get you to purchase? 💪💪
The Land of Random
Last Year 🕷🕸
Remember that WILD game with Spiders that I mentioned a few weeks ago? It’s finally available for sale on Steam. Click the link for more info!
More Tiny Homes 🏠
I know, I’m obsessed with tiny homes. To be fair, they are getting pretty popular. Anyway, a Japanese company called Muji has released a beautiful minimalist tiny home that I wanted to share with you. Their website is so minimalist - It’s been a while since I’ve seen something like this.
Augmented Reality in Your Browser 👀
Google is teasing some new features for AR functionality in your Chrome web browser. There’s some really neat features being demoed - like Depth of field (processing of your physical space and translating it into the digital camera space) and interaction with real-world objects. For example - soon you’ll be able to play a Shooter game in AR and actually hide behind physical objects like your couch! 😃
Check out videos and read more at the link!
Bringing the Normal to Fantasy 🪓🎄🎅
I found this really neat picture by an artist named Alexander Mokhov. It depicts a Christmas scene - but in an unexpected context. Enjoy! 😁
The Second Oldest Live Camera on the Internet 📹🦈
Is Still Running! It started in 1994 - a live camera pointed at a fish tank - and it’s still running decades later. This website will bring on the nostalgia, trust me!