GLOBAL EVENT: Heineken Open Your World Campaign

I once serenaded a girl at varsity. I lugged my guitar on my back to her res and belted out Goo Goo Dolls to an audience gathered on her balcony. It was quite a daunting experience. I certainly would have appreciated some serenading support at the time.

Now we can send something special to an admireree with a little help from Heineken. The brand has launched a serenade campaign called “Open Your World”, which allows romantics to serenade a potential Valentine digitally with a song that says it best.

Serenade your date with a personalised online video with they help of a Heineken Facebook app launched this week called Serenade. The video below accompanies the Serenade Facebook app. Clicking through from the video will take you straight to the application, where you can create your own fully personalised Serenade for a date in just 4 clicks.

How it works

You must first select “Who” you would like to take on a date, “Why” you want to go out with them, and then decide “What” you want to do on your legendary date. You should of course explain why your chosen date should step out with you - “Why Me”. Once you have made your choices, your Serenade will be ready to send to your lucky date.

It’s then all about waiting to see whether you will receive a Yes or No from them. With a total of 640 different Serenades available (and in 20 different languages), you should be able to find the legendary Serenade that will inject some romance into your life.

NOTE: Both the sender and the recipient will have to allow the Facebook App to send and open their Serenade respectively. Supporting the App, Serenade Live is an 8 hour live, global event taking place on 9th February, which will be streamed on Heineken's YouTube channel. Join in and let Heineken help you set your Valentines’ Day message to music and lyrics, and be a part of the worldwide Serenade!

The “Serenade Live” event will be streamed at the following local times:

• Sydney: 5am – 2pm
• London: 6pm – 3am
• New York: 1pm – 10pm

• To keep up to date on Twitter, follow @Heineken and use the hashtags #Serenade, #SerenadeLive

- Sponsored post

COMPETITION: Who killed Internet Explorer 6 campaign

INTERNET Explorer is attempting to make a comeback with the launch of Internet Explorer 9. The masterful minds at Microsoft have devised a very clever marketing strategy called “Who killed IE6?”

The campaign sees participants surfing around the web looking for clues to help them solve the Microsoft murder mystery. Here's the brief:

Internet Explorer 6 is dead! Our campaign is aimed at Internet-savvy users and we want to challenge them mentally and get them spending time on our mutual love, the Internet. In order to do this we've created a murder mystery that takes place all over the web.

And the prize? Be the first to figure out who killed Internet Explorer 6 and the R20 000 bounty will be yours!

The basic concept of the campaign is a crime scene for the death of Internet Explorer 6. Clues are being given a number of times every week and participants have to eventually get all the clues right in order to win the ultimate prize of R20 000. There are also weekly prizes of R1000 awarded to randomly selected participants.

So what are you waiting for? Round the mountain, over and under and on a yellow road to a little sleepy village... that’s where you’ll get a quote with something that will make you see things clearer.

Hint: We’re looking for pixels not pixies!

What is the Who killed Internet Explorer 6 campaign about?

The purpose of the campaign is to change perceptions of IE9 as well as educate users on the amazing features IE9 has. In order to build brand loyalty and experience of a product, you have to enable users to use the product. The campaign sends users on a hunt for who killed IE6 all over the web with the answers hidden in various websites.

How does the Who Killed Internet Explorer 6 campaign work?

Users receive clues on the website and have to enter the answer/word on the website which solves the clue. For each clue they get right, users will receive a letter for a anagram which will answer the mystery of who killed Internet Explorer 6. Once all the clues have been solved, users will have all the letters and will be able to submit their answer for the anagram.

Additionally there are two blocks which will require participants to choose an avatar and share the campaign as well as download the latest version of Internet Explorer in order to ensure that they have the latest tools in order to solve the case. All blocks need to be completed in order to unlock every letter and the entry field for users to enter their answer.

• Join the investigation

Good luck!

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DAILY DEAL AGGREGATORS: What's the deal?

IN the beginning, there was the mighty Groupon, which gathered hundreds of followers worldwide. Now, a new era begins – the era of coupon aggregators.

Social Buying websites, also known as Group Buying, Coupon Buying or Daily Deal websites have been around for about two years. Groupon, which originated in the U.S., has since managed to go public and raise millions of dollars - proving to be a highly profitable venture.

The basic method behind these websites is that they offer high quantity sales in return for steep price reductions. By promising increased sales, merchants lower their products prices, thus making the product more appealing to online buyers. The websites profit by percentage from each product sold via their website.

Today there are around 500 daily deal websites worldwide, if not more. Following this trend, numerous aggregator websites have been popping up over the last few months in South Africa.

Many have questioned the sustainability of these websites - most claiming that the method itself is flawed and that the expected lifespan of such websites is limited. Unless something radical changes, most will agree that this method will not last forever. So the question remaining is what changes can be expected in this market, if any?

According to David.B - CEO of Dealafrica - one of South Africa's more popular Daily Deals Aggregator websites, one such change has already begun. According to him, thousands of South African Internet users who used to subscribe to one or two coupon websites are now subscribing directly to the daily deal aggregators themselves.

These websites do not sell products directly but rather collect the deals being offered on many various daily deal websites, and centralise them in one place. This arguably saves users the time and effort that would have been spent searching for deals on separate websites.

An additional advantage is the various filtering options aggregator websites offer, which allow users to only view the deals that interest them and opt to receive emails according to their predefined preferences.

Techcrunch, Computerworld, Cnbc.com, and cnet.com have already begun reviewing the subject claiming that the move from coupon websites to the aggregators was expected.

"People are constantly looking for faster and more convenient ways to get things done and daily deal aggregators are definitely one of those ways", one reporter claimed.

For a trend to succeed there has to be a financial motive for the people making it possible. Its value has already been picked up on by major online players. Google and Facebook are showing increased interest and Google made the first move by buying out the deal aggregator website The Dealmap.

A quick peruse through the Dealafrica website reveals it clean and elegant layout. It is very easy to navigate and they are very quick to respond to any queries. What makes Dealafrica shine is its efficiency, convenience and the ability to filter through various daily deals.

• Dealafrica is currently offering cash prizes to three randomly selected Facebook fans. The more subscribers there are, the bigger the pot will be for each winner. This competition ends on 21 November, so sign up now and spread the word to increase your chances of winning some cash every month!

OGAMES: Big Brother gets more interactive

DSTV Online has launched Africa’s biggest gaming portal, Ogames.com. Offering users over 600 games for PC and over 300 mobile games, Ogames.com has focused on social media integration and dynamic multiplayer offerings for its online community of gamers.

Key to the Ogames.com offering is multiplatform interaction, giving users the opportunity to play games with strong links to the DStv Channel offering. Ogames.com’s new Big Brother games – developed for the current season of M-Net’s Big Brother Amplified – allow users to play for points which translate into rewards for the housemates on the live TV show.

By playing Big Brother Bubble Popper, Big Brother Wordsearch or taking the Big Brother Quiz, Ogames.com users have the chance to influence aspects of the television show. They can use the points they score by playing to supply the housemates with extra snacks, drinks and surprise gifts & goodies at their Saturday night parties. Users also stand the chance to win rewards of their own. By scoring more than 500 points, they are entered into a grand prize draw for Samsung prizes at the Big Brother Amplified finale on 31 July.

Brendan McNulty, GM: Games, says that this level of gaming / television interactivity is a first for the continent and puts Ogames.com at the forefront of interactive gaming worldwide.

“Viewers and gamers in Africa have never had the chance to influence the content of a television broadcast on this level before – outside of voting for contestants. The Big Brother games allow users to compete and show off their skills and have the result broadcast across the continent for all to see on Africa’s biggest reality show,” says McNulty. “This development on Ogames.com is just the first in a series of steps which will take interactivity in the broadcast space to new heights in our market.”

Darkness Falls – The Jozi Outbreak is another new addition to Ogames. The MXit-based Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) sees users entering a shadowy world to participate in a battle that's been raging for generations in Johannesburg. Thousands of players have chosen their side, created their own characters and are honing their skills as they battle through the dark underworld of Darkness Falls.

“MMO’s like Darkness Falls are generating huge traffic volumes as thousands of players log in to challenge each other. This kind of game has changed the way users engage with multiplayer offerings and Ogames.com is excited to be leading the charge,” says McNulty.

Ogames.com is the biggest gaming portal in Africa, built specifically for the African market. The portal delivers quality, fun and challenging mobile and PC games to users. With a strong multiplayer offering, Ogames.com offers users the chance to compete against each other for high scores and collect badges to showcase their achievements. Ogames.com launches tailor-made Kenyan and Nigerian sites in July.

- Issued on behalf of Ogames.com

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COMPETITION: LG Electronics is calling all foodies to enter the 2011 LG Life Tastes Good Championship

SO you think you are a food wizard? Why not show us your culinary expertise by entering the LG Life Tastes Good Championship 2011.

The entries for this year’s national LG Life Tastes Good Championship 2011 are open to all aspiring food lovers.  So get together with a mate, submit a team recipe to www.lgcooking.co.za and stand the chance of winning the 2011 LG Life Tastes Good National Championship title. Also up for grabs is a LG SolarDOM oven each, the grand prize of R30 000 to share, and winning team the opportunity to represent South Africa at the regional finals in Dubai. Entries close on 12 June, so get ready for the cook-off that may just make you famous!

If you fancy yourself a foodie, aspire to be a Nigella Lawson or Jamie Oliver, and your friends can’t stop raving about your culinary skills, then the LG Life Tastes Good Championship 2011 cooking competition is just for you. LG Electronics is again hosting the LG Life Tastes Good Championship, an unique international cooking competition for aspiring foodies, recognising innovative, nutritious and most of all, delicious recipes created by everyday people.

The LG Life Tastes Good Championship is the Idols of cooking shows with renowned local celebrity chef, Jenny Morris (a.k.a. the Giggling Gourmet) as the judge of the contest. The host of the show will be well-known 702 presenter, Kieno Kammies. The top teams will compete on DStv’s Home Channel with the winning team claiming the title, an LG SolarDOM oven each as well as R30 000 to share. The winning team will represent South Africa in the regional finals in Dubai and possibly the global finals in France.

The theme for 2011 is "The World On Your Table by Lightwave", and participants will focus on preparing their winning recipes using LG SolarDOM Oven. This has been designed for health-conscious and eco-friendly consumers, with lower power consumption and faster cooking times, for healthier meals and a healthier planet.

The LG Life Tastes Good Championship is the only cooking competition globally that is endorsed by renowned organisations such as the World Association of Chefs Societies and Le Cordon Bleu.

Entries are now open for non-qualified chefs, so don’t delay, get your cooking buddy and recipe together and visit the LG Life Tastes Good Championship site for entry details and terms and conditions. Entries close on 12 June 2011.For mobile users please access the competition details at http://m.lg.com/za/promotion/promotion.jsp

• The LG Life Tastes Good Championship 2011 will be televised on DStv’s Home Channel from mid-August.

- Submitted on behalf of LG and Meropa Communications

"We have only one planet. Given what we know about climate change today, it would be foolish not to act. Earth Hour 2010 gives an opportunity to the people of the world to unite in a call for action on climate change and to take the lead by making changes in their own lives.” – Dr Morné du Plessis, CEO, WWF South Africa

FOR Earth Hour 2010, WWF calls on all South Africans to switch off their lights on Saturday, 27 March, as a symbolic act to send a powerful message to leaders that the time to act on climate change is now.

The Copenhagen Climate Summit in December failed to deliver the climate deal our planet needs. This year WWF is challenging individuals to take the lead by pledging to reduce their own carbon footprint. We have to show world leaders that we are serious about tackling climate change and that we want them to deliver a fair, effective and binding climate deal – a deal that keeps global warming as far below 2 degrees as possible.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu is the patron of the campaign, and Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban have already pledged their support for Earth Hour 2010. Other celebrities, who will be switching off their lights, include The Parlotones, Bryan Habana, Jo-Ann Strauss, Marc Lottering and The Stormers.

Participating in Earth Hour is easy and free. All you need to do is:

• Pledge your support and commit to reducing your carbon footprint.
• Switch off the lights of your home on 27 March from 8:30pm – 9:30pm.
• Spread the message to your friends and family.
• Show your support by posting the Earth Hour 2010 web banner and widget on your website or Facebook pages, downloading the Earth Hour email signature, printing posters or having an Earth Hour event.
• Download the Green Events Guide, just click on the events button at the top of the webpage. You can download all of the above from the website. Click on the get involved button for loads of information and fun ideas.
• Download the complete DIY kit on how to roll out Earth Hour in your city

Save the date: Saturday, 27 March 2010, 8:30pm – 9:30pm.

Please email or contact us on 021 888 2800 if you have any questions. We hope that you will support Earth Hour 2010. Together we can make a difference.

Kind Regards,
The WWF team

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CAMPAIGN: Wired comedian to live in Connect Box for 10 weeks

THROUGH the launch of its In the Connect Box concept, FNB Connect has challenged one man to live his life inside a glass box for 10 weeks using only FNB Connect’s Surf (data) and Talk (voice) product offerings.

Voted as “best Internet service provider for customer service as well as billing” in the 2009 MyBroadband survey, FNB Connect aims to use its digital platform to showcase inventive ways for FNB clients to save on costs in today’s highly competitive broadband and telecommunications market.

“The aim is to prove that through FNB Connect you can live your whole life digitally and at the same time do it for a lot cheaper compared with most other ISPs. We wanted to do this in a fun and dynamic manner by developing a campaign that embraces the digital world in keeping with our status as a virtual Internet service provider,” said Zanele Hadebe, marketing head for FNB Connect.

The FNB Glass House

The FNB Glass House - Thomas Gumede's home for the next few weeks

FNB has created a see-through state-of-the-art glass house that consists of a tastefully decorated sitting room, bedroom, kitchen (kitted with the latest appliances) and obviously a bathroom which will not be visible to the public.

The portable home is moving from shopping mall to shopping mall nationally and will allow Thomas Gumede to do live interactions with the general public online and by use of a cellphone and using Internet software.

Live interactions will demonstrate how effective, user-friendly and cost effective three online FNB products are. Anyone who happens to be in the vicinity of the house (which will be moved to various shopping malls during the 10-week period) will see the Gumede’s every move, except (of course) for his bathroom and shower breaks.

The benefit of Gumede living in the house in public spaces will enable folk to physically see how the products are used as well and mingle cyberly with this young celebrity.

The concept, which went live on October 14, is one of the most effective ways live or on a television screen to show physically how online products work. Once the 10 weeks are over, the general public will get an opportunity to win the plentiful new-age appliances occupying the glass house.

The man inside the glass box

Travelling with the Connect Box is up-and-coming comedian Thomas Gumede. He will live his life in the box, which started in Jo'burg on October 14, making his final exit on December 20 in Cape Town.

Gumede is a young actor and comedian who originally hails from Tongaat in KwaZulu-Natal. He has acted in major South African television drama series, including Rhythm City and A Place Called Home. He is currently on our screens as the presenter for a reality series called So You Think You’re Funny and has released a stand-up comedy DVD, Thomas Gumede Live.

The FNB Connect Challenge

Gumede’s challenge is to exhibit what can be done using FNB Connect online. His aim is to prove that you can do anything, anywhere, anytime for less using only the Internet.

Through Facebook, Twitter and his personal website and blog at www.intheconnectbox.co.za, Gumede will be set daily tasks that he will need to undertake using only Cell Pay Point, eBucks, an FNB credit card and FNB Connect Surf (data) and Talk (voice).

Members of the public will be encouraged to assist him in delivering on his tasks or even create tasks for him to undertake. The public will also be able to communicate with Gumede throughout the campaign.

Thomas will live in the house all by himself for 10 weeks, without any visitors from family, friends or colleagues. He will not be allowed to leave the house unless compromising circumstances arise — for instance if the house gets flooded in a freak plumbing accident.

The young comedian will live his life vicariously through three FNB on-line products, which have been designed to make using the Internet much easier, faster and more cost effective. The benefits of these services will be fully demonstrated by Gumede — educating the public on how the products work.

“We are really excited to have Thomas involved in this groundbreaking campaign as he brings huge value to the campaign. Our aim is to showcase to our clients that through our innovative data and voice product offering, FNB clients can save substantially with FNB Connect,” said Hadebe.

Connect Box dates around the country:

• Johannesburg: Cresta Shopping Mall: 14-18 October, East Rand Mall: 21-25 October, 2009, Clearwater Mall: 28 October – 1 November and the FNB Whiskey Live Festival at Sandton Convention Centre: 11-14 Nov
• Durban: Gateway Shopping Mall: 18 – 28 November
• Cape Town: Canal Walk: 1- 6 December, Cape Gate Centre: 8 – 13 December and V&A Waterfront: 15 – 20 December

FNB Connect is a virtual internet service provider, providing:

• FNB Connect Surf: a prepaid ADSL data solution that offers clients unshaped data that makes it ideal to surf the web, conduct online activities such as gaming, downloading of big files and making internet calls. There are no caps, no contracts and a 12 month data carry over.
• FNB Connect Talk: a voice offering that can save FNB clients up to 50% on their phone bill using an existing internet connection to make calls from their PC, compatible cellphone or landline. Free calls can also be made when calling other FNB Connect Talk users.

For more information on the FNB Connect campaign, please visit the In the Connect Box website at www.intheconnectbox.co.za or to learn more about FNB Connect please visit www.fnbconnect.co.za

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