This way to Brazen World

Archive for April, 2010

BRAZEN WEEKLY DIGITAL PRESCRIPTION – 30 APRIL 2010

Friday, April 30th, 2010

Brazen PR

Searching for the World Wide Web’s hottest trends, keenest insight and most cunning digital PR and social media campaigns, here is your weekly Digital Prescription:

CASE STUDY – Iron Man 2
Appealing to the geek inside everyone, this clever use of augmented reality allows the user to actually become Iron Man. Who wouldn’t like that?

CASE STUDY – Heineken
Yes we reference Heineken quite a lot but that’s because they do amazing work. Their latest viral mocks our obsession with talent shows but with its own Heineken inspired twist.

CASE STUDY – Splinter Cell
See exactly how computer game publisher Ubisoft launched their latest title, Splinter Cell: Conviction, by breaking down the barriers between the real and virtual world.

CASE STUDY – Cadbury
We all remember the classic ‘Jim’ll Fix It’ clip involving the rollercoaster, a group of scouts, lunch and copious amounts of G-force right? Well here is Cadbury’s attempt to recreate the magic with their Cadbury Flake 99 Challenge.

AND FINALLY…Ann Summers
Who said search marketing is boring? Spicing things up in the world of online advertising, Ann Summers’ latest campaign uses Google Adwords and a number of clever risque political puns to capture traffic from one of the UK’s most searched for terms – the UK election.

By Graeme Anthony, Brazen’s Digital Doctor

BRAZEN WEEKLY DIGITAL PRESCRIPTION – 23 APRIL 2010

Friday, April 23rd, 2010

Brazen PR

Searching for the World Wide Web’s hottest trends, keenest insight and most cunning digital PR and social media campaigns, here is your weekly Digital Prescription:

PREVIEW – SAScon
A final reminder that SAScon (Search, Analytics and Social Media Conference) is on next week – Wednesday 28 April at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall. SAScon will be the UK’s leading Search Marketing conference and speakers will include many of the world’s experts in search engine optimization (SEO), analytics and social media marketing. Not to be missed…

INSIGHT – Facebook
First it was Bing and now Facebook has revealed its plans to take on the might that is Google. Announced by the company’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg, at its developer conference, Facebook firmly believes that the internet’s future lies in friendship and online identity – an area which the social network feels it owns. Expect to see a lot of changes as the Facebook platform gets rolled out across the online realm.

CASE STUDY – Tefal
Pop-up shops, exhibitions, restaurants and now cafes are all the rage and Tefal’s ‘Greaseless Spoon’ is no exception. Complimenting an excellent news generating stunt with social media, Tefal are giving away food for free as long as customers book via their Facebook page. Let the mass syndication begin…

CASE STUDY – Levi’s
We’ve already touched on Facebook’s plans for digital domination and here’s a preview of exactly what they mean with Levi’s attempting to make shopping more social, more personal and more fun.

AND FINALLY…Spitfire
With patriotism running at an all time high due to the election and forthcoming St George’s Day, Spitfire Ale has released their version of ‘The Bottle of Britain’. Playing to the brand’s strengths, their intro video sees Britain’s Spitfire aces halt the advancement of Hitler’s ‘German Aryan beer’.

By Graeme Anthony, Brazen’s Digital Doctor

LET’S CLAIM BACK THE ST GEORGE FLAG FROM THE RIGHT WING

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

The English rate themselves the least patriotic nation in Europe, a new poll suggests in advance of St George’s day.

Almost half of us believe our country has lost its identity in the face of European interference and political correctness.

The poll also reveals that two thirds of Brits don’t even know St George’s day is on April 23 – this Friday.

The shame.

I suspect the whole national identity crisis is really more about being too embarrassed to display our patriotism because of potentially being labeled right-wing or racist.

The BNP and its right-wing crew-cut-sporting supporters have hijacked our national day.

Can we not take it back? It’s ours after all. It’s not supposed to be a reactionary statement against immigrants is it?

St George, if you believe the historians, was Turkish, for goodness sake. He was, apparently, born in Nicomedia, which is in modern day Turkey and died in the year 303 near modern day Tel Aviv. He was almost certainly of Islamic stock.

About as far from the right-wing skinheads who promote right-wing facism and racism under the guise of ‘nationalism’ as you’re ever likely to get.

So, it never was the BNP’s day to steal in the first place. Most of them probably don’t even get the irony of a bunch of racists singing ‘Swing Low Sweet Chariot’ in celebration of an Islamic saint.

Let’s have the day back shall we? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being patriotic and proud and waving the English flag.

We all celebrate St Patrick’s Day don’t we? It’s about time we took back our own flag.

It doesn’t mean we are racists.

By Adam Moss, Brazen News Editor

A LITTLE BIT OF ASH CAUSES A DUNKIRK RE-RUN

Monday, April 19th, 2010

TALK about the over-reaction of the decade.

A few sunburned Brits get stranded abroad because of the Ash Cloud and the Government sends the Royal Navy out to rescue them.

Gordon, take a chill-pill.

They’re hardly at risk of death from a bank of Nazi MGs are they? This isn’t Dunkirk for goodness sake.

And much as the Government would like to think that deploying the might of the navy may be a godsend of a vote winner, the façade that anyone in Westminster really gives two hoots about over-crisped and uber-boozy Brit holidaymakers is flimsier than the resolve of a Sackville Street tart.

They’re planning to send not one but three Royal Navy ships to help return Britons stranded abroad as UK airspace remains restricted.

The highlight of the whole affair for this lover of irony is that the name of the UK’s emergency committee is ‘Cobra’. It surely can’t be a coincidence that that is also the name of one of the UK’s most popular lagers can it?

I’d love to be a fly on the cabin wall of the HMS Ark Royal, HMS Ocean or HMS Albion to see first-hand what happens when Britain’s finest war-ships become home to several thousand Brit booze-cruisers and their off-spring. A booze-cruise with guns sounds like a recipe for disaster to me.

Plus, there’ll be so much puke in the sea the Spanish will think we’re launching a revenge attack for the Armada.

Let’s hope the Americans buy the film rights to the whole episode. This will make the best big-screen comedy in decades.

Either that or there’ll be enough calamitous home-videos to launch another three series of You’ve Been Framed.

This country. Dear me.

By Adam Moss, Brazen News Editor

THEY THINK IT’S ALL OVER…………IT IS NOW

Friday, April 16th, 2010

HOT FAVOURITES CAMEROON SUFFER STAGEFRIGHT AND LOSE OUT TO STRONG CHALLENGE FROM LIBERIA’S DEMOCRATS WHILE THERE IS NO MOVE FOR DEFENDING CHAMPS UNITED STATES OF LABOUR

“THE RACE for the Premiership just got interesting didn’t it Ron?”

“It’s a game of three halves Motty. There’s 60 milllion referees and it’s a three horse race now. It couldn’t be more exciting.”

“So, we’re 90 minutes in. Is this likely to go to extra time or maybe even penalties Ron?”

“The jury’s still out Motty. There’s been some woeful defending but all three have got potential match-winners in their squads. Let’s hope they don’t waste too many chances in the final third. We’re bound to get one or two offsides in the final two legs. It’s anyone’s game right now.”

It certainly seems, after the first Leaders Debate, that Lib Dem leader-cum-super sub Nick Clegg, has stolen the headlines and the plaudits. But will that ever really transfer into tangible power? It’s a bit like the old ‘Crazy Gang’ Wimbledon beating Liverpool in the FA Cup Final – a refreshing change which surprised everybody before the team eventually slipped back down into the obscurity of the lower leagues once more.

Reigning champs Labour showed glimpses of just why they’ve been in power for so long. Centre-forward Gordon Brown displayed his silky ball juggling skills, especially when debating the economy. But there are Manchester United-like chinks in Labour’s armour that come, like at Old Trafford, from the kind of complacency that sets in when you are in command and believe that you are untouchable. United look likely to lose their ‘crown’ to Chelsea this season – Labour will be hoping that David Cameron’s blue-shirted Chelsea-supporting Tories don’t do exactly the same.

Chelsea…sorry….the Conservative Party are the pretenders to the Premiership throne. But unlike Chelsea, who are hammering home their promise in every match on the home straight, Cameron’s Blues took a bit of a ‘roasting’ in the first leg.

Trying to play Mr Nice Guy and avoid confrontation is all very well but not if it makes you look weak and indecisive. It was a golden chance in the six-yard box booted firmly into Row Z, wasn’t it David? A PR own goal for a former PR consultant?

Our own Brazen Exit Poll places the leaders popularity score, after the first leg, as follows:

Nick Clegg – 90%
Gordon Brown – 72%
David Cameron – 50%

It’s back to the drawing board for Cameron; a desire to keep exploiting the failures of the old guard in order to distract attention from his own policy inadequacies by Nick Clegg: and a prayer or two from Gordon Brown that his party’s painfully slow clawing-back of popularity turns into a fully-fledged sprint in the final lap.

“Politics. Bloody Hell,” as Sir Alex Ferguson might say.

By Adam Moss, Brazen News Editor

HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY YOUTUBE

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

The phenomenon that is video hosting website YouTube is five years old next week.

It is just out of its digital nappy but it is so much a part of everyday life, what on earth would we do without it?

It may be only five years ago that its first video was posted but it seems like a lifetime ago already.

An incredible 100 million people visit YouTube every month to watch everything from sneezing pandas to the latest Lady GaGa video.

And an unbelievable 40% of all the videos available anywhere in the world are now stored on this Goliath among web phenomenons.

It’s the fourth biggest site on the whole internet and streams 5 billion videos every month – 17 streams a month per visitor, with 15 hours worth of video uploaded to YouTube every minute of every day.

You’d have to live four lifetimes to watch every video minute contained on the site.

But it’s not just a video web hosting service anymore. In August 2008, YouTube became the internet’s second biggest search engine, above Yahoo and just behind the all-conquering Google.

It’s now a huge worldwide influencer too.

The Obama political camp used YouTube to connect with younger viewers in its US Presidential Election campaign. And the type of influence one previously anonymous individual can have if their YouTube video goes viral is unprecedented.

Unsurprisingly, the Labour Party created a cartoon version of its manifesto this week, especially designed to run on YouTube to capture younger voters.

So, what’s the most popular YouTube video of all time then? Surely that’ll be a good indicator to the state of the world, as so many of us invest so much time and take so much pleasure in watching it.

It’s Susan Boyle’s first appearance on Britain’s Got Talent with 90,803,532 views worldwide.

We’re a cultured bunch aren’t we?

By Adam Moss, Brazen News Editor

GENERAL ELECTION – ARE WE NOW VOTING FOR POLITICIANS OR CELEBRITIES?

Monday, April 12th, 2010

It’s just not cricket is it?

Just because our friends over the pond do it, does it make it right?

No, it doesn’t.

So stop it.

Hang your heads in shame David Cameron and Gordon Brown. This is a General Election not a Westminster heat of The X Factor.

So stop wheeling out celebrities to support your cause and offer ridiculously manufactured photo opportunities.

I’m not voting for Ian Botham, Michael Caine or even Dr Who himself -David Tennant.

Look what happened in America. Politics is now a tacky showbusiness style sideshow where the real issues are confused with who is more popular – Oprah Winfrey or Arnie. It is farsical. Ridiculous. Unnecessary.

Watching David Cameron go for a weekend jog with Ian ‘Beefy’ Botham was simply cringeful. And now Labour is wheeling out Dr Who.

Gordon – there may be a number of redundant robots in Westminster but there are no daleks. You don’t need the good Doctor.

Plus, he wouldn’t win any votes for you. He can’t even vote himself because he lives in a sodding phone box.

Sir Michael Caine – hang your head in shame. You’ve just blown the bloody doors off your credibility mate. Politics is no place for Harry Palmer.

This is politics and the future of the country we’re talking about, not a new UK soap opera. Can we talk about what you’ll actually be doing to improve the green, green grass of home rather than who’s in your little black books gents.

Yes, good PR practice, demands that in this day and age, celebrities are used to endorse products and companies at every turn. And it works too.

But the General Election is about our future, a serious issue with serious implications for everyone in the UK. This shouldn’t be some celebrity endorsed product launch.

Just for once, it would be nice to see the real issues – the promises the three big parties are making to the people of the UK – get an airing. Instead, the ‘promises’ are masked by dry ice, jogging pants and daleks. Shame.

By Adam Moss, Brazen News Editor

BRITAIN LOSES ONE OF ITS MOST INFLUENTIAL CULTURAL ICONS – RIP MALCOLM MCLAREN

Friday, April 9th, 2010

He may have been unlikely to underestimate his own importance but without the influence of Sex Pistols visionary Malcolm McLaren British popular music simply wouldn’t be the force it is today.

Had the art-school upstart not put Messrs Rotten, Matlock etc in the same grotty rehearsal room and forced them to tear apart pop music theory in 1976 you could pretty much rule out the whole Britpop revolution of the 1990s.

The Jam, Paul Weller plus chart-topping rock gods like Blur and Oasis – and all the indie-heroes who followed in their footsteps – just wouldn’t have existed.

McLaren knew punk, and the Pistols, wouldn’t last as a popular movement. But I doubt he could have estimated just how influential those few short years of craziness and dominance would be on all popular music thereafter.

Yesterday, aged 64, he died.

His legacy is in every guitar-based pop song we hear today.

He never craved a music revolution, more of a cultural explosion. He wanted to put the establishment’s nose out of joint. But in doing so he sewed a seed that would infect popular music and culture for decades afterwards.

It’s been fashionable in later years to slag him off as a bit of an arthouse nutjob. But that ‘theatre’ was what made him tick, what made him so special to music history.

No-one said it better than the man himself so I’ll leave you with his own wise words….

“Our culture has become something that is completely and utterly in love with its parent. It’s become a notion of boredom that is bought and sold, where nothing will happen except that people will become more and more terrified of tomorrow, because the new continues to look old, and the old will always look cute.”

By Adam Moss, Brazen News Editor

QUEEN SPEAKS TO GORDON BROWN AHEAD OF GENERAL ELECTION – WE HAVE THE WORLD EXCLUSIVE TRANSCRIPT

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

In an historic world first, Brazen’s Westminster mole has managed to secure a hard copy transcript of the minuted pre-election meeting between Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II this morning.

This is what was said as it happened……honest guv.

E.R: Good morning Mr Beige.

PM: It’s Brown, Your Majesty. I have come regarding important matters of state, namely, Cameron is forcing us to call a General Election.

E.R: Cameroon? Do we still own that country? I thought the Frenchies done nicked it? And which generals are we electrocuting exactly?

PM: Err, Cameron, Your Majesty, the leader of the Tory party. Cameroon is a country in Africa where they play football rather well and do, as you so graciously pointed out, speak with a Napoleonic tongue.

E.R: Get to the point Mr Fawn. The corgies are desperate for the Royal wee and Phil wants a quick canter around Horseguards.

PM: Err, it’s Gordon Brown, Your Majesty. The Prime Minister. While your morning ‘exercise’ sounds very interesting, we do have very important matters at hand. In a nutshell, the Labour Government has to dissolve Parliament in the next two weeks and call a General Election so the ordinary people of England can decide which party should form the next Government.

E.R: Look, Mr Tan, dissolving parliament sounds a little excessive. And it’ll take an awful lot of acid to get rid of that stench they refer to as the Liberal Democrats. You should take a leaf out of Guy Fawkes’ book. Gunpowder – it’ll all be over much more quickly. I always thought there wasn’t enough room for twvo palaces in London – the Palace of Westminster clearly has to go, though you have my permission to keep Big Ben, I’ve always thought of it as Buck House’s personal alarm clock anyway.

Ordinary people? What is this unfamiliar magic of which you speak? Oh…..you mean my subjects – the great unwashed? They get to choose a Government? That’s my job isn’t it? The cheek. They’ll be wanting their own homes next. Let them eat cake, I say.

PM: Quite. But Your Majesty, the people have been deciding who will form the Government for centuries now. Women and even those granted asylum are now allowed to vote too.

We want to call an election for May 6 this year.

E.R: The last time the public got to have its say it turned into my Annus Horribilis. I don’t intend to put My Majesty through another god-awful ten minutes of that kind of indecision again. What the devil do the workers know about anything other than paying my salary? They don’t even have their own palaces for goodness sake. Give them an inch and they’ll take all my stately piles.

PM: But it’s been this way for centuries. You are now a figurehead – you don’t really have any real power any more Your Majesty. It is actually, I, Gordon Brown, who runs this great country.

E.R: No you don’t, you jumped up plastic Rob Roy. Now get of my sight before I have you guillotined in Trafalgar Square and set Phil’s army on that pathetic excuse of a heather-filled back garden you call Scotland. My great-grandfather warned me you tartan-skirted nancy-boys would start a brawl if we allowed that convict actor Gibson to make Braveheart.

PM: But Your Majesty, that is terribly uncalled for and, if you don’t mind me saying so, unethical at least and overtly racist.

E.R: Oh get back to the docks and build me a new yacht will you, or I’ll serve you to the corgis. Election? You’ll be lucky. I’m doing my hair.

By Adam Moss, Brazen News Editor

BRAZEN PR’S GUEST BLOGGER – GLAMOUR MODEL KATIE PRICE – GIVES THE RUNDOWN ON FLEET STREET’S FINEST APRIL FOOLS STORIES

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

While Alex was giving my toes a massage this morning he started going on about how The Sun is gonna be printed on lickable, flavoured paper from now on.

I read that story and it’s obviously an April Fool’s joke. Everyone knows that if you did that the flavour would go too quickly – especially on Page 3. The Page 3 girls would have to charge extra too – they get paid to look pretty in undies, not be licked to death by weirdos on the bus.

You can’t push the wool under my eyes, y’know.

Evrywon finks I’m a bit daft. That’s just envy. Their jealous cos I know the name and colour of every single won of me £50 notes in my private valt.

I’m not cleverer than I look – that’d be impossibul wudn’t it? – but I know me way around the papers. There’s no fooling me with daft stories pretending to be tru when its April Fools Day.

That story today about Kylie being the most powerful celeb in Britain – as if! Everyone knows I’d nock her out cos she’s a dwarf in real-life. I stood next to her in a hotpants shop in Soho once – she didn’t even come up to me nipples. Powerful? She couldn’t even lift me false eyelashes she’s that small.

April Fools stories really annoy me actually. They get in the way of important pollytix news and that.

Look at that articul today about Gordon Brown in The Guardian. That’s really important. The one about the Labour party finally admitting he’s a bit violent and admitting it publicly and even putting it on posters. Like that one where it’s got his head on it and the words underneaf say ‘Step Outside, Posh Boy’.

I fink it’s brilliant that Gordon Brown is using violence positively. And that he’s facing up to Posh Boys. And it’s about time a prime minster had a bit of muscle. I fink it will help the posh boys to – they need toughening up a bit. I’ve texted Gordon already and offered Alex’s help. They’re obviously quite similar. See – I should be a bloody MP too, specially wiv all them expenses. I quite fancy a duck house and a lake to match me gazebo.

*For those of you disappointed that, clearly, Katie Price has had absolutely nothing to do with this blog, or gutted because you came here expecting to see some Price tits, here is a sentence of consolation. While there are no Price tits on view the REAL author of this blog is often referred to as a Prize Tit.

By Adam Moss, Brazen News Editor