Unheard In NY Project

This is a really interesting project that came across my Twitter feed. A group of interns from the ad agency BBH are helping homeless NYers gain a voice through Twitter. They started out by giving four men pre-paid cell phones and instructed them how to "Tweet" with them.

I think this is a very admirable thing to do for the homeless. Sometimes we take for granted how lucky we are to be empowered with digital tools. Technology like Facebook and Twitter allows us to get our points across, express ourselves, and socialize with others. We can turn to our social networks for advice on life's decisions, whether they be small or large, for garnering support when we need it most, and for receiving congratulations when things are going well. People don't have the time to stop and interact with homeless people on the street or in Penn Station, but for those who do have an interest in doing so Twitter allows homeless people to have a less intrusive voice and lets people socialize with them when it is most convnient.

Check out their first You Tube video, and follow the four men @jessie550 @putodanny @awitness2011 and @albert814 or the main Twitter account @underheardinNY.

Live Commercials on Jimmy Kimmel

There’s a reason why advertisers shell out so much money for Super Bowl spots. This year’s game was the most watched TV show of all time, and if you are selling a product that appeals to almost everyone (ie: a car, a food or beverage) it makes sense to invest the money. A specialized product like Salesforce Chatter however...not so much. But besides the massive viewership, it’s the one time of the year where Americans not only watch the commercials, but get excited about them. Any other time people get together to watch sports they are usually changing the channel during the commercials or talking over them, which leads to wasted advertising dollars.
This is why I am happy to see the age old tactic of live commercials making a comeback during late night television's Jimmy Kimmel Live. In the early days of broadcasting, it was quite common for the host of a show to appear during the hour or half-hour to do a live commercial endorsing the sponsor of the program. Jimmy Kimmel has brought this technique back by performing a live commercial before each show.
I remember a couple of years ago Jimmy Fallon did an okay job of incorporating Bing into his program to create more awareness for the new search engine, but it wasn't incredibly funny. Last night I was very impressed with what Jimmy Kimmel Live did to promote the sponsor Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut Cereal. They were able to use the product to create a funny skit involving the show’s Hispanic character Guillermo. In case you missed it here is the transcript:


00:01:25
>> Jimmy: Hi, I'm jimmy kimmel with kellogg's crunchy nut cereal -- the most delicious development in breakfast since bacon.
00:01:33
It's the perfect blend of sweet and nutty in every crunchy bite.
00:01:36
Our parking lot security guard guillermo loves it so much he -- where is guillermo?
00:01:44
>> Oh, delicious crunchy nut , cereal.
00:01:49
Two kinds topped with real peanuts and honey.
00:01:53
It is time to eat you right now because it's always morning somewhere.
00:01:59
>> Jimmy: ,What?
00:02:03
>> Aye-yay-yay, what a beautiful morning!
00:02:06
And, look, the biggest bowl of kellogg crunchy nut cereal in the world!
00:02:13
Wow!
00:02:13
And a giant spoon.
00:02:14
, [ mooing ] >> wow.
00:02:21
Muchas gracias!
00:02:22
>> Guillermo!
00:02:22
Guillermo!
00:02:25
>> Oh, my god.
00:02:26
Look.
00:02:27
He talks!
00:02:28
A talking cow.
00:02:29
Wow.
00:02:29
>> Guillermo!
00:02:30
, >> Jimmy: Guillermo, wake up.
00:02:35
Wake up.
00:02:35
>> Jimmy, I was having the most wonderful dream about crunchy nut cereal.
00:02:40
>> Jimmy: Well, I'm sorry to wake you.
00:02:44
>> Not as sorry as you are going to be!
00:02:46
Come on, cow.
00:02:47
Let's go.
00:02:48
>> Jimmy: ,What?
00:02:50
>> Yeah, you're right.
00:02:51
>> Two varieties of crunchy nut available in stores now.
00:02:54
Learn more at kelloggscrunchynut.com or facebook.com/kelloggscrunchynut.
00:03:01
>> Jimmy:, another home run.
00:03:06
"Jimmy kimmel live" is back in two minutes with amy sedaris, music from nelly and dr. phil mcgraw.
00:03:10
'T want to wait till morning to eat it.
00:03:12
♪ ♪
00:03:16
[ beep ] ♪ ♪
00:03:21
, ♪ ♪
00:03:26
the perfect blend of sweet andnutty in every crunchy bite.
00:03:32
♪ ♪
00:03:33
..
00:03:35
It's Morning Somewhere.