Field Notes // According to the AP
CITIZEN NEWS // Citizen and Duracell Jump into #TheDress Conversation
What a day the Internet had yesterday. First we watched llamas on the loose. Then, just after 6 p.m., BuzzFeed posted what might be its single most-shared article ever: "What Colors Are This Dress."
If you're unaware—which is impossible, unless you live in a cave—the story pointed to a Tumblr discussion about the color of a dress. Welp, the Internet exploded—and so did the brands, which swarmed the topic like flies.
CITIZEN NEWS // Citizen Client Rocky Mountaineer Takes on The Oscars
Don't feel too bad for the Oscar losers this weekend. As is the tradition, all of this year's Oscar nominees who aren't lucky enough to go home with the gold, will receive an Oscar Gift Bag, worth more than $167,000, as their consolation prize.
THE BIZ // Who’s winning the online popularity contest?
Analytics company Infegy ranks the 50 most popular brands online.
THE BIZ // How Lego Designed Its Own Oscar and Stole the Show
The best thing about the Oscars ceremony last night might very well have been pop band Tegan and Sara's performance of Everything Is Awesome, the least ironic song ever written, from prominent Academy snubee The Lego Movie. (The makers have to console themselves with a $468.1 million box office gross.) As with everything in the ceremony, the performance was planned scrupulously down to the last 2x8 brick. It wasn't a pure marketing integration, though, according to Lego Systems' senior director, brand relations Michael McNally—it was more about how to keep the whole performance as Lego as possible.
SOCIAL // Celebrate Youtube's 10th Bday w/ This Supercut Of 101 Of The Decade’s Most Viral Videos
With YouTube turning 10 this month, now is the perfect time to take a trip down memory lane and relive some of the best viral videos we all spent countless hours watching over the past decade.
SOCIAL // Facebook Adds New Feature For Suicide Prevention
Starting on Wednesday, Facebook is rolling out a new feature for suicide prevention. The social media site is partnering with Now Matters Now, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Save.org and Forefront: Innovations in Suicide Prevention, a nonprofit operating out of the University of Washington's School of Social Work, to give users more options when they see a friend post something that is concerning. It works on both desktop and mobile.
SOCIAL // 'Ballot Selfies' Clash With The Sanctity Of Secret Polling
From Pope Francis and President Obama to the kid down the block, we have, for better or worse, become a world full of selfie-takers. But as ubiquitous as they are, there are some places where selfies remain controversial — like the voting booth. The legal battle rages over so-called "ballot selfies" in the state that holds the first presidential primary.
FOOD & BEV // Edible Coffee Cup in KFC Tests in Britain
Diners at KFC restaurants throughout Britain soon will be able to have their coffee — and eat the cup, too. KFC, one of the chains operated by Yum Brands, is going to test an edible cup made from a wafer coated in sugar paper and lined with a heat-resistant white chocolate. The new cup will debut about the same time as KFC restaurants plan to introduce Seattle’s Best Coffee, part of Starbucks.
MEDIA // How’s the Media Industry These Days? Confused.
It’s no secret that the media industry has been high on the list of businesses that have been disrupted by the Internet and is struggling to find a new footing.
OBSESSION // Rupaul Charles
I make no secret of my obsession with Rupaul, and his (just a drag queen, not transgender) show Rupaul’s Drag Race. For those of you don’t know, it’s basically America’s Next Top Model plus Project Runway plus drag queens. It’s campy and amazing … and on its face, totally meaningless trash TV. But there are lessons to be learned from Rupaul. He is brilliant and driven. You should listen to his interview with Marc Marron (linked here), and watch Drag Race this Monday at 10p ET on LOGO.
