This page now boasts 1,443,225 fans, no joke. Note: at one point, this fan page was mentioned on Bored.com.

Frankly, this is just one of many pages whose purpose is simplistic or just plain random. Another one that deserves mention is “If 50,000 people join, my mom will quit smoking.” (also a fan of this page as well) Keep in mind, that these groups generally have very low levels of participation.

So what is the takeaway here?

People love to be part of movements, of any sort. It seems the more ridiculous, the quicker the movement builds. (Chatroulette’s growth may also be explained by this concept)

Here lies an opportunity for an interesting marketing experiment. I will end my post on that thought.

props Marcus Troy

Cheers!

The fusion concept that has become prevalent with Nike’s Jordan Brand has spread to Converse. It’s all in the family; however, Converse is the pretty sister while Jordan Brand is the obnoxious brother. I choose the sister! I love the Jack Purcell’s that I have spotted in the Dress Code 1/2 line up. I can’t wait to receive my three pair. More on Jack Purcell later this week. Promise.

There is not a single piece of footwear that is more Americana than the Bean (Duck) Boots by L.L. Bean. Having had the opportunity to work on the brand as a digital media planner, I have a deep respect for the integrity and story behind the brand. The above video adds to the authenticity that is L.L. Bean; an American icon that continues to set the benchmark for what America was, is, and should be.

“If Hov’s a Blackberry Bold, then shorty is a Sidekick”


So if I’m also a Blackberry Bold, then what are my sneakers? Exactly. They are bold too!


I thought about this concept nearly a year ago. One of my habits is typing up my ideas on my Blackberry and giving myself a deadline. I also note any costs that may need to be incurred. However, I went a little bit crazy in the NikeiD shop and was not able to bring my idea to life. This time I got it right. The idea was executed about a month ago and since I opted to have my sneakers mailed to my office I am just now receiving them. Be warned, this is a trend that could become a problem. Please note the details of the design. My Blackberry Bold has seen better days but, #cmonson it was released in November of 2008. Any designers and/or mobile companies want to work on a ‘pack’?

Offline, @WilliamYan started out writing tweets on sheets of paper and has now stepped it up to tweeting on the streets. The convergence of online and offline media will be a story of 2010. This is just plain creative. My social experiment aligns with this perfectly. Check back at the end of the week to get the story on my (Twitter) social experiment. Shouts to  @aimeehustle @ladychellez @keefwasheretoo

Visit WilliamYan.com for more

via William Yan’s Twitpic

Many of us have a fascination with graffiti art, and we sometimes even look over our shoulders to make sure no one’s watching when we scratch out our initials in a freshly laid slab of cement – or carve them into a wooden desk – or even scribble profanities across the stall door in a public restroom. 

The creative minds working for Sharpie, the ultimate in permanent markers, have discovered a way to satiate our desires to deface public domain. Interactive e-cast billboards have been scattered around cities, which allow people to experience the rush of creating their own graffiti. Choose some colors, write a message and Sharpie makes it possible for anyone to leave his permanent mark on the side of the bus stop or the public phone or anywhere else billboard adverting may be experienced. - Andrew J Wiener

Sharpie Interactive E-Cast Billboard

Source: http://www.thecoolhunter.net/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoGCDtkZFHU

A must watch and read from Jeremy at Trendhunter.com He has a great network of trend spotters and cool hunters.

Jeremy Gutsche (Jan 5, 09) – One thing you’ll learn from our Trends in 2009 Forecast is that 2009 will be a year of dramatic change. To prepare you for that change, TREND HUNTER Research is breaking all norms by freely distributing this video and memo of our Top 20 predictions for 2009. 

The 2009 forecast summarizes the 20 trend clusters from our 2009 Trend Reports.  In total, the trend reports feature more than 300 clusters, each with half a dozen examples. 

Crowd Filtered Insight – We’ve created the 2009 trend forecast by crowd filtering our database of nearly 30,000 published micro-trends, collected by our global network of more than 20,000 Trend Hunters. For more info on the methodology and premium research, visit our 2009 Trend Reports section.

Feel free to share this video with your colleagues or contact us if you are a journalist looking to showcase the next big thing.

20. RETURN TO THE KITCHEN (Economy / Family / Food) – Fuelled by the credit crunch and food as a fashionable hobby, we’ll see a return to the kitchen, especially for the celebrated meals.

19. DIY & THE RISE OF THE COTTAGE INDUSTRY (Economy) – Internet communities like Etsy and Craftster were already sparking interest in DIY projects, fashion and crafts.  A troubled job market and the need for extra cash will spark many hobbiests to transition their love for craft into cottage industry.

18. UGLY BEAUTY (Advertising) – From Vivienne Westwood’s use real gypsies as models to Yohji Yamamoto seniors on the catwalk, expect to see an abolition of traditional beauty as people return to what seems real.

17. HOLLYWOOD VIRAL (Media) – 50 Cent’s multi-million member community, Will Ferrel’s success with Funny or Die and Paris Hilton’s fake presidential candidacy are all examples of Hollywood stars leveraging their brands for instant online success.  Expect the stars to rock the blogosphere and 2009 YouTube charts.

16. SHOCKVERTISING 2.0 (Internet Culture) – Shockvertising isn’t a new tool, but the blogosphere and youtube in combination have created the world’s first truly viral platform.  From Dead arms in butcher shops for a Dexter promotion to bathroom blood dispensers in Clue you can expect credit crunched ad teams to further push the limits in 2009 and beyond.

15. GEEK PRIDE (Tech) – RSS Nerd tattoos, Keyboard Jewelry, Nintendo Wall Decals and Pac Man Cufflinks are just a few examples of our techified culture opening the door to geek pride.  It’s not 1990 anymore.  The internet has become pervasive and geek culture is cool.

14. AGELESS INSPIRATION (Medical) – 60 today is not the same as 60 a generation ago.  From boomers in fashion to boomers on youtube, a youthful generation 60 year olds is approaching retirement.  As this generation proves its youth, we are seeing emphasis across all ‘older’ age groups.  From Daira Tores, the 41 year old Olympian, to 80 year old Buhbbe Scher on YouTube, pop culture is now fascinated with age.

13. URBAN GARDENING (Living / Eco) – Fake and real gardens are springing up outside traditional yards.  From indoor urban spice gardens to living furniture, our green obsessed society is finding eco outlets for city dwellers.

12. PHYSICAL CUSTOMIZATION (Product) – From designing your own shoes (Steve Madden) to custom dresses online (StyleShake), consumer personalization is entering the physical world.  New technologies and a desire to express personality are fueling this innovation.

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11. VIRTUAL TOURISM (Travel) – In a credit crunched economy, families cut their travel budget.  At the same time, we continue to see an evolution in online 3D technology.  As these two factors combine, we get VT.

10. STYLE OVER TRADITION (Fashion) – Even the most conventional product categories, like watches, are changing shape. Luxury items used to be a static, with only a few brands and classic designs representing status. However, modern design and cutting-edge technology are evolving style far beyond the status quo.

9. HUMANIZATION OF PETS (Pets) – Wet suits for dogs, pet tanning beds, kitten rentals, doorbells for dogs, and pet spas are just a few examples of the rise in animal humanization.  Expect empty nest boomer to further accelerate this trend.

8. FAUX ROCKSTAR (Pop Culture) – Games like Guitar Hero and Rockband are spawning a new era of pop culture.  Band geek couture, guitars for girls and real bands with plastic guitars are just a few rockin’ examples.

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7. PREFABULOUS (Architecture) – From recycled shipping containers to cardboard, instant homes are made from a diverse range of materials. Some are built as temporary post-disaster shelters, others as aesthetic masterpieces.

6. 1960 CULTURE (Fashion / Pop Culture) – From gadgetry to fashion, the world continues to have a fascination with retro. This year, everything 1960s is hot again. Cult shows like ‘Mad Men’ continue to fuel fascination for this decade.

5. BRAG MATERIALISM (Luxury) – From a $2 Billion home to $3 Million Bugattis, Brag Materialism takes luxury to a new level.  In short, simple luxuries like flat screen TVs can be ‘bought’ by just about anyone. Since opulence has been made available to the masses, truly affluent buyers are seeking extreme wealth exhibitionism.

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4. POLITICAL REMIXING (Politics) – Obama and Sarah Palin brought politics into pop culture.  But post election boredom will drive the internet to create their own drama with ongoing political parody, including presidential beatboxing and viral videos.

3. SMALLCHITECTURE (Interior Design / Economy) – As people move into metropolitan cores, and architects are forced to build upward, people are needing to adapt to smaller living spaces. To ease the transition of shifting to more compact home environments, architects and designers are innovating interior layouts as well as creating adaptable furnishing.

2. REMAKING HISTORY BETTER (Media) – From recreating famous photoshoots to Horror Movies remade, the revival of retro is making its way into the media. Instead of creating from scratch, artists and designers are looking at successes of the past and adding a modern twist.

1. CREDIT CRUNCH COUTURE (Economy / Fashion) – From DIY jewelry to home-made shoes, the rediscovery of individual clothing is being fuelled by our troubled economy. Interest in DIY is even sparking top designers like Hermes, with their DIY status bags and Vivienne Westwood who showcased a collection of clothing made from towels, curtains and scrap material.