Explanation of Microsoft and Seinfeld Commerical

The general consensus after the commercial was released online was: what are they thinking?, this commercial makes no sense, they don't even mention the product.

Initially, I thought it was a terrible ad, but I have taken a more optimistic view.

I think Microsoft wanted to get people talking. They wanted to create a buzz around the much hyped commercials. By releasing a commercial that comes off as completely irrelevant, they have sparked a discussion among people.

Deep down, I think Microsoft and Crispin+Porter have a bigger plan for Microsoft than churros and leather shoes. The first stage was to get the discussion going, the next stage will be to engage the product.

Collectively, the commercial has racked up over 1 million views and millions of dollars of free publicity. At least the coverage of the ad hasn't been lacking...

RSS Apple App

My favorite RSS reader from the App Store has to be Manifesto. I have tried a few other ones, including just the standard Google reader, but Manifesto is king so far.

- Very clean and organized App
- 3 different sections: Feeds, New, Flagged.

And the best feature:

When looking at a feed post, with the touch of one button, you can view the website version of the post. This is a very useful feature since a lot of feeds want you to visit the actual website, so you only get a preview of the post in the feed.

Overall rating: A-

Recap of "Let's Rock"

- New Nano and iPod Touch coming
- iTunes 8 is out.
- Firmware 2.1 will be released Friday. This will fix bugs, crashing, frozen apps, improve battery life, and so forth)
- NBC shows are coming back to the iTunes store. With the option of HD. (very smart considering The Office was the highest selling show)
- Jack Johnson played a few songs

For further info, read up here.

Apple "Let's Rock"

The event is going on now. Check out a live blog here. Coolest feature so far: shake iPod to shuffle songs.

Social Network Evolution

Social networking and video games have become more synonymous in recent years with the rise of X Box Live, World of Warcraft, and all the other online gaming experiences out there. Now the creators of the Sims have launch their newest game after four years in the making. Spore is an interactive "evolution" type game in which users evolve cells to become full grown organisms. As players grow and improve their organism, they will encounter other user-generated content online which they can interacted with. For example, as you grow big enough, there are different land masses where things can be built, different planets to be inhabited, and differnet objectives liketaking over a colony; in essence, users "play god" in an ever-changing environment.

Although the game has launched, makers of the game feel like the project has just began. The players of the game will largely determine the direction of Spore and which features to improve, drop, or totally reinvent. This model of video gaming isn't totally new, but really brings the power of the product to the people using it. Much like Twitter, a platform like this can be used in many different ways, creating a different experience for each person. As users find new needs within the platform, together they simply create what they want to see. The genious of evolving social networks is that ideally weak ideas die, strong ideas are created, and everyone wins.

New JJ Abrams Project

JJ Abrams, creator of Alias and LOST, debuts his newest project, Fringe, tonight on FOX. The new television program will combine Abrams usual favorite subjects of science and the supernatural, forcing the characters to deal with the collision of the two.

While Abrams has been known to create shows with extremely devoted followings, this time around, he is trying to make the show more accessible to viewers. While LOST fans will be lost if they miss a week or two, Fringe aims to help viewers enjoy the show without having to give it up if they miss an episode or feel left out if they haven't watched from the beginning.

Fringe airs tonight, September 9th on FOX at 8/7 CT.

Check out the movie-like trailer for the show:

Kit Kat Chunga: Great Campaign, but Will It Sell?

I love Kit Kat's new ad campaign "Kit Kat Chunga." Chunga is basically Jenga, but with Kit Kats instead. The five videos they have posted on YouTube are hilarious.

While it is a creative campaign, you have to keep in mind one question: will it sell Kit Kats?

Probably not. It will put the Kit Kat name back in the head of consumers, but I don't see it creating the desire to buy Kit Kats.

Anyways...check out one of the videos below: