Bacardi and Michael Shumacher prove that drinking and driving don’t mix

If you’re reading my post, that means you have survived another Christmas.   For that you should be congratulated!   If you still have holiday fever, no worries!  New Year’s Eve is just around the corner.  

In keeping with the season, what better time to review a short film covering the dangers of drinking and driving?   Bacardi has created a film to demonstrate the dangers of drunk driving, but not in the way you would expect.    

 Here, bartender Salvatore Calabrese, is asked to mix a cocktail.  He’s dressed in a crisp, white shirt, but more on that later.   The drink is not going to be mixed  in the way you might think.  The catch?   Mr. Calabrese needs to mix the drink while in a sportscar being driven by 7-time Formula 1 Racing Champion, Michael Shumacher.

 As Shumaker maneuvers every turn (thankfully on a closed course!), our hapless bartender is getting a shower of mixed drinks on his lap as he prepares to mix a cocktail.  He begs the driver to “keep it steady, keep it steady.”

Finally, the ride ends, and Calabrese’s once-white shirt is now a blush pink thanks to the ride.  He serves a drink to Shumacher, who reminds the viewer, “Proof that Drinking and Driving Definitely don’t mix.”

This film was created in the UK, and my best guess is that this “tongue in cheek” approach to suh a serious subject would never fly in the USA.    In fact, if you visit the website referenced in the film, www.championsdrinkresponsibly.com, the site tells customers that the site is  ”not intended for visitors from the US and Canada. If you are entering from these countries please visit bacardilimited.com.”

Fortunately the fatalities in America have dropped significantly.  According to Alcohol Report.com. 26,173 fatalities were reported in 1982. Fast forward to 2009 and the number has been cut nearly in half to 13,846.  Yet still, one fataility is one too many, and a good PSA can only help reinforce the mission against drunk driving.

Nonetheless, this is a creative method to talk about a serious subject.   And if two buddies in a pub can talk about the ad as racing fans and relate to it, all the better.

Be safe and well this holiday season!

Holiday E-Cards: A Few Simple Suggestions

With the holidays among is, now is a good time to reflect on how technology has altered even the way holiday cheer is expressed. With a troubled economy, many companies are cutting back all non-essential expenses, and sending tidings of goodwill is no exception. I have received remarkably less paper cards this year, and in lieu of a handwritten note, many, many, more electronic announcements of season’s greetings. As an extra bonus to cost savings, electronic holiday greeting cards are great as a “green” alternative to regular cards.

As ecards are a relatively new endeavor for many businesses, we have seen some great card ideas, and some that fall short. Here are examples of what not to do with an ecard, and what to do with one. And in some cases, sending no card (electronic or paper) is better than the examples you see here.

Case 1: Card with broken link.

I received this message on December 18th via email from Buffalo State College. Clicking on the link led to a different URL with a “Server not found” error, in both Firefox and Internet Explorer.

Although now the curiouity got the best me, I did actually take the time to hit cut and paste into a browser. The end result was a decent slide show with instrumental music and images from campus and student life. I was glad I took the time to click, but think of the negative perception of those who became frustrated and simply deleted the card.

The moral of the story?

Test, test and retest before hitting “send.”

Your friends at Buffalo State College wish you the very best of the holiday season. Please visit http://www.buffalostate.edu/president/seasonsgreetings/2009/ to view our electronic greeting card.

The correct link is here: http://www.buffalostate.edu/president/seasonsgreetings/2009/

Case 2: Unimaginative Communication

I received this message this year. A static message, no link, music or interactivity or tinsel. Although someone at the company’s staff level spend a good deal of time to merge all images into one Photoshop file, the end result was at best, flat. I may know at best one or two people from this office, but the images are so small, it’s hard to figure out where they are.

The moral of the story?

A dull message will be forgotten the second it is sent. Without any creative energy, the chance of making a positive brand experience for the recipient is impossible.

And what about Good ecard ideas? They use a creative approach in a holiday eCard that is entertaining and conveys a good impression of the company. I found this one online for Ad Agency Eisenberg and Associates. Allowing a choice between Christmas or Hanukkah imagery, recipients can play a themed version of “tetris” by moving images in sequence.

A link to the game is here.

Also, check out charities for their ecard capabilities. National organizations such as UNICEF, World WildLife Fund, St. Jude Children’s hospital and American Cancer Society are just a few suggestions. Or consider organizations local to your community. You need to analyze many things with your ecard strategies, and make the card parallel your business efforts. If you’re going custom, keep in mind that creative design and fees may run you a hefty sum. So if your list is not that large, a stock ecard may be better for your bottom line.

There are many, many e-card sources in existence. Vivid Greetings and Corporate E Greetings are suggestions for a corporate approach. And yes, if your clients have a sense of humor, a Jib Jab’s “Elf Yourself” is an option.

A little advance homework now, and we’ll be ready for next holiday.

Using social media — charity cause or bandwagon approach?

In light of social media, a laundry list of new terms have come to life. “Friending” is now a verb, and “Tweets” are much, much more than what my pet parrot Cosmo greets me with.

One of the newest terms that crossed my radar is “Slactivism.” According to the Urban Dictionary, a must-have reference these days, a slactivist is defined as one who feels a need to be politically active, but doesn’t quite know how and thereby jumps on the nearest bandwagon cause.

Without question, social media lets people connect with each other, and organizations can use these relationships to increase awareness.

However, does clicking on a charity event on Facebook really do much good? This trend has been criticized that click through activism can be ineffective, as people are just using their mouse clicks to fake awareness.

As people have limited time, would online “slacktivism” replace in-person volunteerism? Would kids be without mentors, or walk-a-thons without participants?

Can social media have a bigger impact than a bandwagon approach? The answer? Yes!

Causes, an online application for Facebook and MySpace was released in 2007. The application promotes viral financial donations charities and nonprofits. In just two years, the company has registered an impressive bank of statistics on usage and donation numbers. As of June 2009, over 70 million users registered to support more than 53,000 registered non-profit causes worldwide. In just two years, Causes campaigns have raised over $10 million dollars. Although Causes does keep 4% of the proceeds, this is still remarkably better than the 7-12% average that is spent on fundraising by other not-for-profit tactics.

According to a study by Mashable.com, the key to online giving through social media is trust, both from the organization, and from those people you connect with. By building a dialogue based on trust and openness, charities have an opportunity to effectively fundraise. But by engaging with its audience, the organization may also be able to gainer support with calls to action for an increase volunteers.

A recent example occurred in my hometown of Buffalo, NY. Hit show Extreme Home Makeover rebuilt the home of one needy family. A mass social networking campaign garnered a record number of volunteers – over 5,000 in all. With the largest volunteer turnout, volunteers gave the entire neighborhood makeover.

Yes, landscape has changed for charities. And pursuing web-based activism, the opportunity is prime for organizations to connect with a wider audience. As the message is spread from person to person, nonprofit organizations have an opportunity to raise money and bring a community together, both in person and online.