The cinematography on this deserves awards. Well done, Mercedes.

I absolutely adore this Target commercial.

Wow. This is a pretty cool tribute to 9/11. Very relevant brand tie-in.

My co-worker David Solomito said it best, “Now hiring part-time for someone to manage my Facebook, Google+, Twitter, foursquare and LinkedIn pages on a regular basis.” While this made me laugh, the comment is dead on with the fact that maintaing my social streams has become quite the time suck. In reviewing my own habits, I’ve:

• Consistently had a presence on Facebook.
• Gone through phases with Twitter.
• I love Tumblr.
• Repeatedly turn FourSquare on and off.
• Sometimes enjoy WordPress.
• Let LinkedIn mostly just hang out.

I think I’ve done a okay job at managing the above, but with the proliferation of practically everything being socialized, I’m starting to feel overwhelmed. (I am not alone, according to this NY Times article). On top of the above, I’ve recently added the following to my social list:

• G+, which we’ll have to see if takes off or becomes another Google fad.
• Instagram, while downloaded as a mere photo tool, has become a feed in and of itself for me to keep up with.
• Spotify also makes the social list for me with the number of people who send music suggestions my way.

With all of this, I’m started wondering if I could get into the idea of an aggregate feed of storts. Of course, after exploring the available options (i.e.; Threadsy, Greplin, etc) — there really are no options. With this, I’m being forced to rethink which platforms I really value, and in turn, within which to participate.

Facebook, Tumblr and Insagram make my full-time list. My Spotify, LinkedIn and WordPress accounts will remain. For now, I’m choosing to turn off FourSquare again, and will likely only make an occasional post on Twitter or G+. They just don’t provide me with enough value for the amount of time required to keep up.

Admittedly, I really enjoy the Magnum Ice Cream campaign. I enjoyed it so much, I bought my first box of bars and can absolutely attribute it to the extensive marketing mix targeted at me. As a marketer, I love being able to admit when it works on me. So, let’s review.

I was first introduced to Magnum Ice Cream by the commercial. It piqued my interest for two reasons:

1. The fact that the initial half of the commercial doesn’t lend regard as to what it’s promoting. (Full disclaimer, they put the star in a BMW M6 Convertible, which also had me curious.)
2. Rachel Bilson’s natural sex appeal. Bilson was a smart star choice. She exudes a fun, young, flirty, carefree, girly attitude that makes her perfect for the part. The commercial builds upon the well known insight of women turning to chocolate for an emotional uplift. (i.e.; Researchers have found the number one food craved by American women is chocolate, likely as it causes the brain to release endorphins to release pleasure.) Bilson’s character begs you to believe a single bite of a Magnum bar will transform any present dilemma into a much better moment.

Additional campaign videos, directed by Karl Lagerfeld, can be found on the Magnum website and premiered at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City — smart director choice and debut location.

The campaign also included billboards, which I saw plastered all over the streets of New York City.

They took over the YouTube homepage FMA for a few days.

As as if that wasn’t enough to capture my attention, they even made an iAd that was heavily served within The Weather Channel app. At first glance, I thought it a was little insane they spent funds developing an iAd, until I saw the two best features: an ice cream locator, and ice cream-weatherometer, a feature which pairs what Magnum bar best suits the present elements. Awesome.

At then end of the day, I used the app locator to find the Magnum dealer nearest me. I went with Almond. And will admit it was delicious.

This is dope. (Yes, I just said dope.) Kaiser Chiefs are giving fans the opportunity to create their own album by selecting 10 of their 20 songs, design the album cover, and even have their own webpage to promote their version. To top if off, the sites interaction design is radical.