1000heads: The Museum of Me

This gorgeous, gorgeous piece of work from the smart chaps at Intel is one of the most perfect uses of the Facebook social graph API that I have ever seen.

Click through to the site, give up virtually all of your Facebook access privileges (we’ll come back to that one later) and just sit back and watch as Intel’s application accesses all of your photos, videos, friends, likes and links and displays them all in a glorious installation that even Getty would be proud of.

If you haven’t done this yet, click through and do it now. Once you’re done, come back again – we need to talk.

Right, welcome back. Done it yet? You have?
Perfect.

So exactly why is this beautiful application so damn good? Let’s explore further.

First, the sticking point: all those access points that the app demands.

I must admit that even I wavered there for a second.

Granting ‘access’ I have no problem with, it’s the ‘Post to my Wall’ part that niggles at me. But, forward you go – why? Because Intel aren’t some start-up off the street, nor are they a second rate newspaper looking for a quick way to proliferate their words and stories and, to be completely fair, if Intel do end up breaking my trust after I hit the ‘Allow’ button, so be it!  I can still go back in afterwards and disable their access, right?

And of course, let’s be totally clear here: the combination of all of the above along with the fact that perhaps, just maybe, after the clicking of agreement above I might have my very own ‘Museum of Me’, is more than enough to tempt even the most doubtful of Facebook users – the ol’ ego stroke; gets us every time.

Moving on, what makes the The Museum of Me so special in its delivery is that – through the API access you’ve granted above – it delicately creates a uniquely personalised and deeply personal journey through your social graph in a way that one might perhaps hope their life might be celebrated after they’re gone. Through pictures, screens, connections – they whole exhibition is dedicated to you and it could only really be totally appreciated for what it is by you.

Just enough virtual praise to be flattering, just enough branding to be quietly understood and, to top it all, just enough subtlety in the sharing functionality to entice you to push it out to your friends.

You pushed the like button – didn’t you?.

Speaking of which, at the time of writing the app has been liked just shy of 7800 times. 12hrs from now? When it’s gone viral, who knows what number it’ll hit.

For me, the great thing about this work is that the idea is simple, but the execution is flawless. I can’t show you how great it is, because my version wouldn’t work for you. You have to experience it for yourself. And that – in today’s world of mass information and constant personalisation – is definitely worth three minutes of your day.

Go to it.

The Museum of Me YOU awaits…

 

 

Bits + Pieces

James Whatley says Hi

Moleskine entry: April 13th, 2011

QotD:
“How western are we? After an hour on a train in a communist state, we’ve already created a democracy!”
– said on the group deciding on a bar name for my room. Which, incidentally, was ‘The Czar’s / Tsar’s Retreat’
“Time doesn’t matter, we’re on a Mongolian spaceship!”
– on discovering that, even though we’re crossing four time zones, the time on the train stays on Moscow time. Amazing.
“There were some larger bottles of vodka, but they were more expensive.”
– more at eleven.

 

1000heads: Google v Microsoft; a question of ethics

On a recent trip around the web last week, I came across this old post by one Steven Hodgson writing for WinExtra –

He poses an interesting question: Why is it that what’s cool for Google is an ethical question for Microsoft?

Quote:

I remember when Google surprised everyone who was attending one of their conferences that had to do with Android with a free smartphone that had the current Android OS installed on it. They did the same thing when the Nexus was launched much to the delight of the attendees.

At no time when this was happening did anyone do anything but cheer Google on for coming up with a great marketing idea and ya it was a great idea.

Yet when Microsoft does the same thing like they did at their E3 event to announce the new Xbox 360 suddenly we have CrunchGear suggesting that there are ethical questions that we should be considering.

At 1000heads we adhere to a strict ethical policy across all engagements; be that through fostering relationships between brands and communities or simply through outreach and / or disruptive product trials – and it’s in this latter section that we come to Google v Microsoft.

I say it again: it’s an interesting dilemma and I consider the two examples to be slightly different; on one side you have a large global search/software company (dressed up as Android) trying to get its (at the time still relatively new) operating system into the homes of developers globally and on the other you’ve got a big gaming brand trying to make the biggest splash at the world’s largest electronic entertainment expo (E3).

Who’s in the right and who’s in the wrong?

Ethics are a constant discussion point here at 1000heads and I’m proud to say that ALL of our staff work hard (and often argue passionately) about what is right and what is wrong.

In the case of Microsoft v Google, where do you stand?

New Friends

Moleskine entry: April 12th, 2011 (cont)

We did a lot today – much I want to cover but first I need to finish off what happened last night – I called the Honcho, Marina, as requested –

Note from the honcho
–
– and managed to get directions to the restaurant where they were all grabbing dinner. 10mins later (and one short hop, skip and a jump down the late night snowy streets of Moscow) and I’d found them. Awesome.

Two brothers, Ben & Oly (on a vodka-drinking YouTube mission – more on that one on a later date) and two friends, Sally & Mel. The latter pair used to live together and Mel, the Aussie of the group, is on her way back home (Sal’s just along for the ride). They’re a good bunch and I reckon I’ve landed on my feet quite nicely…

We were joined by another group of travellers last night too. This bunch are headed off to Mongolia later today (we may run into them there, but if not then we’re definitely meeting up in Beijing) and they were more than happy to join us for post-dinner vodka and beer.

It was… a late night, a lot of fun and – as first nights in Moscow go – not bad at all.
– – –

Today, Tuesday, we woke up around 10am local time and remembered we’d agreed to go running before breakfast. Ben & Oly were committed (or at least should be) and I joined them. 3.5miles-ish, in total. With our loop point being St Basil’s Cathedral.

Look, I even made you a map –

–
Like I said before; Madness.

Post-morning workout we headed out in search of food and – what with it being 50yrs since Uri Gagarin took man’s first step into space – we made plans to visit the Moscow Space Museum (along with pretty much every other resident of Moscow for that matter), but that can wait for another day.

Basically today, my first 24hrs in Moscow, has been fantastic. I’ve got a smile on my face and four new friends to travel with.

19052011190

1000heads: Drum Marketing Awards: A Commendation

Good news this Friday, our SKINS team here at 1000heads last night received a commendation for their work on last year’s Tour de Velo campaign.

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=14958820&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00adef&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0

From the entry:

When international recovery and compression sports clothing brand SKINS wanted to replicate the grassroots loyalty they had secured in Australia and the USA in Europe, they knew that word of mouth chimed with both their early underground viral success and their ambitions to be a challenging and empowering brand.

Proving that with SKINS ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things, 1000heads discovered Quentin Field Boden – a 51 year old UK blogger and amateur road cyclist who had grand plans to ride the entire Tour De France route – and made his dream happen. While Quentin trialled SKINS’ new products by cycling the route three days before the professionals, uploading his experiences and engaging with cross-Channel sports communities along the way, a further set of influential cycling enthusiasts in the UK and Australia were sent SKINS products to trial at home through challenges that reflected the hardships of the Tour.

Spanning three countries simultaneously, Tour de Velo dramatically increased traffic to the international SKINS sites, generated high volumes of positive, independent WOM – and positioned SKINS as the company that promoted the voice of the ordinary fan amidst the saturated brand promotions at one of sport’s biggest events.

Congratulations team – a job well done!

It’s snowing in Moscow

Rainy nights in Moscow

Moleskine entry: April 11th, 2011

It’s 9pm local time, I’m staying at the Godzilla Hostel which, while not being shaped like a 240ft tall old school feature creature, is certainly covered from head to toe with numerous bits of Godzilla-themed paraphernalia.

Interesting.

I’m staying with a group of four others: having arrived late to find four of the six beds in the shared room already taken one can assume the number but, hopefully [aside from being the spare wheel], plus the Honcho* we should be a good healthy six-some.

We shall see.
…
..
.

The others are all out at the moment, I’ve only just settled. I guess I could go out and find them..
Actually, think I will.

–

*The word ‘Honcho’, is the name given to the local guide that we’ve been given in each city.
Basically, they rock.

 

Moscow 0.1

En route from Moscow Intl.

Moleskine entry: April 11th, 2011

There’s a larger entry to come later today I’m sure but, it’s 19:50 local time, I’ve been in this taxi for nearly an hour and if the Godzilla Hostel doesn’t actually look like the Japanese legend of old, I am going to be thoroughly, thoroughly disappointed.

That is all.


I’ve been away…

…to sort a few things out.

A few weeks ago I flew to Moscow for a couple of days and from there, caught the train to Beijing (stopping off for a few nights in Ulanbator, Mongolia along the way). The journey itself was perfect and pretty much exactly what I needed.

To put things in perspective: over the past month I’ve jogged around Red Square in the morning snow, galloped across the Mongolian desert in the afternoon sun and – thanks to a midday downpour – got soaked to the skin deep within the Forbidden City. ‘Spectacular’ doesn’t quite do it justice.

There’s much to catch up on [and a fair amount of moleskinerie to write up] but for now, it’s good to be home.