$100 Laptop - almost there

Have you heard about the $100 laptop? Lots of people were talking about it while in the design phase, but now it is here! They were not able to hit the $100 mark just yet, but that does not undermine the accomplishment. It is a great example of what can happen with when systems thinking is applied to a problem.

The group that created it is called One Laptop Per Child and they want to empower children in the developing world to learn through computers and connectivity. It could make a huge difference to whole communities in developing countries. You can learn more (and even buy one for yourself and donate one to a child) at http://laptopgiving.org. The laptop and the thinking that went into it really is amazing.

What does this have to do with online marketing? I think it is a great example of how thinking beyond individual components and keeping the the larger goal in mind can create extraordinary solutions — whether it is giving children access to the resources they need to make a better life or making an online campaign much more than the sum of its parts.

Top 5 Tear Jerkers

Don’t ask why but we’re working on a project that needs a tear jerking song. Here’s what we’ve come up with:

Against All Odds - Phil Collins
Un-Break My Heart - Toni Braxton
Glycerine - Bush
Dust in the Wind
Nightswimming - R.E.M.

What do you think? Which is the most tear jerkingness? Do you know of others that are better? We’d love to hear.

The Creative Mind

Great concept, animation and videos.
Adobe’s Creative Mind

YouTube “Photos Everyday”

YouTube can be fun, but it’s starting to feel more and more like an artform. Separately almost all of the videos are not very good, but together they feel like a patch-work of human life. Like a bustling world of people, with different tastes and different personalities. Taking a picture of yourself everyday is similar to YouTube, in that it is a patch-work of photos of one person’s life. Enjoy.

ahreelee JK Noah Lee Ben

IKEA “Come Into the Closet.”

IKEA has come up with ideal way to sell something as simple (and somewhat boring) as closets to all walks of life.

Their “Come Into the Closet” idea utilizes high end video and simple flash to highlight the benefits of their closet collections while personalizing each product to cater to a certain audience. The site features a clean layout, nice typography, and crisp, vibrant flash video in which you can navigate through with the use of elevator-type buttons that seamlessly take you from one floor to another and demonstrate the features of each closet through contrasting subjects.

There is one downfall to this site, the load time, but once you’re inside, it does a great job of effectively showcasing the benefits of the product through a somewhat virtual reality of everyday human experience.

Come Into the Closet.

VW “The Eos Tarot”

VW’s design brief: Create something online that adds awareness beyond the basic microsite for our new convertible sedan Eos.

The solution: Before coming up with a solution who’s Eos? (From Wikipedia) Eos (”dawn”) was, in Greek mythology, the Titan goddess of the dawn, Eos, preceded by the Morning Star, is seen as the genetrix of all the stars; her tears are considered to have created the morning dew.

What’s the big idea? Lets create a site that brings a fun, and current part of Greek mythology online, and do a “personalized” Tarot card reading. The user can truly be part of the experience.

Google ads supporting the Eos:

The New Volkswagen Eos
Discover the Inspiring Nature of the Eos at the Official VW Site.

The Volkswagen Eos
Introduce Yourself to the New Eos Hardtop Convertible.

Introducing the Eos
Get All the Latest Info on This Rejuvenating Hardtop Convertible.

The Eos Tarot