Argentine Football Player Deletes All of His 92,000 Twitter Followers for Nike Ad Campaign

Argentine Football Player Deletes Twitter Followers for Nike CampaignWith it’s growth as an important social media platform, people have done crazy things to build up the number of their Twitter followers.

Individuals and companies have been even known to purchase huge blocks of fake Twitter followers to try to bolster their social media credibility. Other individuals have deleted part or all of their following to try to reconnect with the audience that truly matters to them.

On August 16, Argentine soccer star Burrito Martinez of the Boca Juniors, surprised everyone by announcing, “Hoy dejé mis 92.112 seguidores para volvermelos a ganar jugando cada partido como el primer partido.”, which in English would read, “Today I erased my 92,112 followers with the idea of winning them back by playing every match as if it were my first.”

The bold move was part of a Nike ad campaign dubbed “Bautismo” (Baptism in English) in which the team were encouraged to play every game as if it was their first. Thanks to the publicity of his bold move, he immediately began to rebuild his Twitter following and has already attracted more than 45,000 followers in two weeks.

The campaign was created by BBDO Argentina.

[via The Denver Egotist]

Argentina

Toronto Sandwich Shop Creates Bacon Deal for ‘Pig-Shaped’ Runs

Rashers - Sweat Like a PigBacon-lovers in Toronto will be lacing up their runners and jumping on their bikes to earn themselves a 30% discount from Rashers, a bacon-only sandwich shop.

The restaurant’s new promotion ‘Run the Pig’ is out to reach runners and cyclists when they are at their hungriest – right after exercising. To earn their bacon, people are asked to use a mobile-app (such as Nike+ Running) to track their run or ride around a pig-shaped course of their own creation, ending at Rashers restaurant at 948 Queen Street East.

The restaurant is also using their Twitter profile @rashers to tempt bacon-starved Toronto-area runners who have shared their completed Nike+ Running status.

The campaign was created by the bacon-loving folks at OgilvyOne in Toronto.

[via Newswire]

Canada

Chris Paul Body-Doubles Bring Venice Beach to Standstill for Jordan CP3.VI Launch

Jordan CP3.VI - Chris Paul

Nike literally brought Venice Beach to a standstill to shoot a video promoting the launch of the new Jordan CP3.VI.

The ‘Cut Through LA’ shoot featured dozens of Chris Paul body-doubles (but, not the real one), posed as if they are different frames of one continuous play. The camera passes alongside the lookalikes as they dribble, pass (to themselves, of course), have a caricature done, grab an apple and finally go up for a backboard shattering drunk.

The video was created by Wieden+Kennedy, and directed by Andreas Nilsson.

USA

Nike’s Facebook Finger Race App Promotes Lunarglide+ Shoe in Russia

Nike Running Russia - Finger Race

Can your fingers go the distance?

You probably should warm up with a few deep-knuckle lunges before you slip your fingers into a virtual pair of Nike Lunarglide+ running shoes on the Nike Running Russia Facebook page.

The app uses your webcam to capture the movement of your fingers and translate it into the forward movement of the shoes. It’s not easy, after a half dozen attempts I only managed a paltry .28 km in 45 seconds. The leading runner so far somehow managed to ‘finger run’ an incredible 39.38 km in just over an hour.

The app was created by Mindshare Russia.

[via Popsop]

Russia

Nike Japan Twists Their Shoe to Match Your Funny Face

Nike Free FaceMy mother would frequently warn me that if I made a weird face it might just freeze that way. Decades have past and many odd and twisted faces later it thankfully hasn’t frozen up.

Nike Japan has launched the ‘Free Face‘ website and is inviting people to come by and contort their faces for fun and profit.

The site uses facial and expression recognition via your webcam to capture an image or your face at both it’s relaxed and most twisted state. The site promotes the super-flexible sole of the Nike Free shoe. The more you can twist and contort your face the more twisted a 3-D image of the shoe ends up looking.

Once your image is captured it then competes head-to-head against others for votes. The face with the most votes each week ends up winning a NikeiD gift card. Contestants must be living in Japan.

The campaign was created by Wieden + Kennedy Tokyo.

Japan

Nike’s Inspires Running Karaoke With ‘I Would Run To You’ Clip

Nike 'I Will Run to You'Who couldn’t love a song with lyrics like “Love is a speeding comet. I’m in a pool of my own vomit”?

Nike’s new promo clip for their Free Run+ shoes features a couple who live on opposite sides of the country decide to run to meet each other while singing the appropriately titled song, ‘I Will Run To You’.

The woman in the video fares a whole lot better than the guy, who only makes it a little over a mile before collapsing at the Washington Square Arch (yes, I used Google Maps to measure the distance from 78A Forsyth Street to the arch).

The ad is inspired by the thought that if you are a strong enough runner, you can sing while you run. With that in mind Nike will be releasing a special ‘Karaoke Mix’ next week that includes the song in the video.

The spot was created by Nike’s agency W+K Portland, and directed by Rattling Stick’s Ringan Ledwidge.

The song can be download at http://go.nike.com/01loo08s

30 Most Viewed Stories at RandyMatheson.com in 2011

Top 30 Posted Stories of 2011

The following list is an interesting collection of the the top 30 most viewed, searched for and shared stories on RandyMatheson.com in 2011.

30 / The 12 Days of Christmas Underwear
Bonds Christmas ad features Rachel Taylor eating canned pears in lingerie as Aussie crooner Jack Ladder channels Joy Division’s ‘Atmosphere’. Read more…

29 / Volkswagen AR Experiences
VW Canada’s campaign for the 2012 Beetle features an awe-inspiring AR experience over Toronto’s Dundas Square. Read more…

28 / Jonathan’s Starbucks Card
Mobile consultant Jonathan Stark invites the world out for coffee in a short-lived and much-debated ‘social experiment’. Read more…

27 / Moosejaw X-Ray App Reveals All
Outdoor clothing retailer Moosejaw launches x-ray vision app that reveals what’s underneath the warm clothes of it’s catalog models. Read more…

26 / Spongebob’s Frozen Face-off Goes Social
Nickelodeon uses Twitter to promote Spongebob Squarepants special with a week of Twitter trash talk between characters. Read more…

25 / Infectious Billboard for Contagion
Warner Brothers Canada posts a living billboard of bacteria and fungi to promote the release of pandemic-themed movie Contagion.Read more…

24 / Tetley Canada’s Shopping Butlers
Tetley Canada brings joy and confusion to grocery shoppers by replacing shopping carts with personal shopping butlers. Read more…

23 / Biker-filled Movie Theatre
Carlsberg directs unsuspecting couples into a movie theatre full of burly growling bikers. Who goes, who sticks around for a surprise ending?
Read more…

22 / Reebok Street Art
Reebok promotes Crossfit program at London’s Canary Wharf with an amazing record-breaking work of 3D street art.
Read more…

21 / Ballatine’s Interactive Tattoo
As part of their Human API campaign, whisky-maker Ballatine’s creates the world’s first interactive tattoo streamed live from their Facebook page.
Read more…

20 / Jack Daniels Letterpress Posters
Knoxville-based printers Yee-Haw Industries create gorgeous hand-crafted posters for Jack Daniel’s campaign.
Read more…

19 / Nike’s Back to the Future Shoes
Nike shoe designers create 1500 real-life versions of the Back to the Future MAG shoes and auctions them on eBay to benefit Michael J Fox foundation.
Read more…

18 / Starbucks AR mobile app
Starbucks releases ‘Magic Cup’, an augmented reality app that brings the coffee shop’s holiday-themed cups to life with animation.
Read more…

17 / Boston Pizza’s Playoff Rebrand
Boston Pizza jumps on the Canuck playoff bandwagon by rebranding it’s BC stores as Vancouver Pizza for the Stanley Cup finals.
Read more…

16 / Ariel Fashion Shoot
Laundry detergent brand Ariel lets Facebook users shoot a remote-control gun filled with chocolate, jam or ketchup at designer clothes… and win them.
Read more…

15 / O.B. Says Really Really Really Sorry via Song
Johnson & Johnson tampon brand O.B. responds to miffed customers by creating personalized apology song.
Read more…

14 / Karen O sings for Chipotle Halloween promo
Yeah Yeah Yeah’s Karen O provides vocals for Halloween-ish short film promoting the Chipotle Boorito campaign in benefit of the American family farm.
Read more…

13 / Honda Pilot’s Crazy Train
Ozzy Osbourne’s iconic 1980 hit ‘Crazy Train’ gets a unique a capella treatment in this fun Honda Pilot commercial.
Read more…

12 / You’re Never to Old to Sit on Santa
New York’s Improv Everywhere comedy troupe performs a holiday-themed surprise-musical for shoppers in a New Jersey mall.
Read more…

11 / Nissan Damned Ponies
A frustrated pickup driver opens the hood to find a group of prancing ponies that want nothing to do with getting dirty. Just when you think it’s over the leader turns into a demonic fire-breathing horse.
Read more…

10 / State Farm Giant Robots
The insurance provider brings the giant house-wrecking robot from their TV ad to your neighbourhood via an inventive Google Streetview mashup.
Read more…

9 / Red Hot Chili Peppers QR Code
A street poster campaign for the Peppers’ ‘I’m With You’ album features a QR code nicely integrated into the band’s logo.
Read more…

8 / Volkswagen Fans Vote on TV Ad
Volkswagen Canada’s Facebook Fans invited to choose scripts, car, cast and music for the latest TV commercial.
Read more…

7 / Spotify Launches in U.S.
After years of false starts, it was big news in July when European-based online music service Spotify finally launched in the U.S. (but still nothing for Canadian listeners)
Read more…

6 / Müller Wonderful Stuff Ad
German yogurt-brand threw everything on the screen, including unicorns, the Knight Rider car and Yogi Bear in this crazy TV commercial and campaign.
http://randymatheson.com/muller-wunderful-stuff-yogurt-campaign-features-unicorns-yogi-bear-k-i-t-t/

5 / Pan-Am Social Media
ABC launched an ambitious promotional campaign for Pan-Am using Facebook, Twitter, GetGlue to no avail as the series was shelved after just 9 episodes.
Read more…

4 / Mercedes Benz Blurs
Mercedes Benz Canada creates an attention grabbing street installation that makes their C-Class Coupe look fast even when parked on a Toronto street.
Read more…

3 / Canadian Tire Spirit Tree
Canadian Tire lights up Toronto’s Union Station with a 30 foot tall Christmas tree powered by the positive sentiment of social media.
Read more…

2 / Dermablend Covers-Up Zombie-Boy
Dermablend demonstrated the power of their skin coverage make-up by covering the tattoos of Montreal model Zombie-Boy.
Read more…

1 / TakeThisLollipop Creates Creepy Facebook Connection
A mysterious project provides Facebook users a creepy peek behind the screen.
Read more…

What were your favorite campaigns of 2011?

Nike Auctions Back to the Future Shoes to Benefit Michael J. Fox Foundation

Back 4 The Future - Nike MAGThe shoes, they’re finally here… 3 years early! The 2015 self-lacing, illuminating Nike MAG shoes are here in 2011 for a limited time in a very limited number.

The Story of the Shoes
Way back when in a time called 1989, Tinker Hatfield, a designer at Nike was asked to create a unique futuristic looking shoe for Michael J. Fox’s character Marty McFly to wear in the second Back to the Future movie. Fast-forward to 2005 and sneaker fans started an online petition asking Nike to create an actual version of the prop shoe used in the movie.

The petition did catch the attention of Hatfield who partnered up with another Nike shoe designer, Tiffany Beers to work in relative secret for the past five years to produce a real version of the futuristic shoe. They took their project to Nike CEO, Mark Parker who greenlighted it for further development.

The project was eventually revealed to the Nike promotional department. Soon after Michael J. Fox was approached with the finished shoes and the news that the sales of the limited editions would go to benefit the Michael J. Fox Foundation and Parkinson’s Disease. Fox revealed the Nike MAGs on the David Letterman show on September 8.

The Back 4 the Future Campaign
The teaser video features comedian Bill Hader, Oklahoma Thunder superstar Kevin Durant, Christopher Lloyd as the time-challenged “Doc” Brown and a brief appearance by Goldie Wilson (actor Donald Fullilove) . Designer Tinker Hatfield is in there too explaining that unfortunately the shoes won’t have power laces until 2015. But when Doc finds out that it’s still only 2011 he’s off in the flux-capacitor powered Deloreon to right the space-continuum.

The Back4theFuture.com website is a full browser experience that shows a different background experience depending on the time of day you arrive. You may see ‘Doc’ Brown staring bug-eyed at the shoes if you drop by during the day or watch the cleaning staff at work at night. The site features

For 10 days starting September 9, 1500 pairs (150 each day) of the Nike MAGs are being auctioned off in a special Ebay auction. The first pair was snapped up by British rapper Tinie Tempah for $37,500 at a separate charity auction in LA. After only three days over 2 million dollars has been raised, and with Google’s Sergey Brin and his wife Anne Wojcicki promising to match all bids up to $50 million things look on track for the campaign to raise significant funds for the Michael J. Fox Foundation and Parkinson’s Disease.

If you can’t afford the shoes (and few of us can) you can still contribute to the cause at participating Nike stores by purchasing a ceramic replica or pin of the Nike MAGs.

See you in 2015, by then I’ll really need those self-tying laces.

UPDATE Sep 24, 2011: Total amount raised over the 10 days in eBay auction of 1500 shoes was $5,695,190.53. You can check out the rest of the stats over on the NiceKicks website.