Infoporn to the max

Sprint Nextel, leading mobile broadband internet provider, wants you to experience the now.  For that purpose, they commissioned a number of animated infographics that illustrate random data from around the world.

Next they upped the ante just an extra notch. In a clever play at the current information widget fad, Sprint presents Plug Into Now, a dazzling, interactive overview of random data and information about the world, now. The deluge combines information gathered from a variety of statistical sources with live feeds from all over the internet (top search terms, top Google searches, the Internet Buzz Meter).

Seemingly unrelated information are linked through the animated graphics (the number of houses being built vs the amount of forest being cut), and you can also add yourself (if you have a webcam).  There's even a big red button that doesn't do anything (which reminds me of a certain Punch feature on a certain Marketing blog...).

And it goes without saying you can also download a condensed version for use on your favorite social platform.  An great idea, superbly executed and wonderful to look at.

Barack Obama or Al Gore?

These past months, Obama has become the archetype of the e-marketeer. But what Al Gore is doing on a smaller scale on  wecansolveit.org, the platform of his movement to fight global warming, is as brilliant. Every fundraiser is confronted with the question of how to give return to sponsors. And every movement, be it political or social, ponders about how to create e-activism. Al Gore brillianty addressed these two challenges in a smart mechanism. By sharing their ambassadorship on social networks, by signing petitions, by inviting friends to support the cause, by sharing content, people can earn points. And for every 1O points earned, a donor/sponsor gives 1 dollar to support the cause (http://apps.facebook.com/wecansolveit/) How effective can you get ?  Gore creates ambassadors with a highly engaging cause. These ambassadors are ànd esteemed for their ambassadorship ànd see immediate, tangible results of their actions.  And donors really see their support. Measured in terms of real people. Seems so logical. And yet brilliant.  Hat tip to Jesse for pointing this one out to me.