So, what’s been happening in the world of social this week?
Facebook prepares for a flood of new instant articles
After announcing Instant Articles back in May – stories that load natively through Facebook’s iPhone app – Facebook published a few trial pieces before going through a quiet period as it prepared for a greater rollout. The Wall Street Journal reports that partner publishers are now ready to rapidly increase their output of instant articles, with The New York Times ready to put as many as 30 stories a day online in the new format.
Facebook’s immersive mobile ads finally give brands the creative they want
In a presentation at Cannes Lions this week, Facebook’s chief product officer, Chris Cox, showed ad buyers mock-ups of a new mobile format that takes over a screen after a user clicks on it from the news feed. Once a promo is expanded, it turns into a browsable mini-website.
Twitter custom emoji for Wimbledon tennis include the queue and the famous ‘hill’
Twitter is very keen on creating custom emojis – it calls them ‘hashflags’ – for important events and famous people. The latest are Wimbledon themed. They were announced by Serena Williams on her Twitter account (and in a blog post.) The set doesn’t just include tennis equipment, there are also emojis for vital bits of the experience like #thequeue and #thehill.
Video/Visual
Samsung attaches screen to semi-truck to show the road ahead
The Argentinian arm of the South Korean tech giant is showing off what it calls a Safety Truck, a semi truck with a wireless camera mounted on the front, displaying the road ahead on a screen tacked on to the back of the truck. The move is a part of an effort to reduce head-on collisions from passing vehicles.
Did Google and Red Robin just make a banner ad that’s actually cool?
The brand worked with Google and its digital agency, Vitro, to create immersive video promos for Red Robin’s Terminator Genisys campaign, which also includes TV spots and signage in the company’s restaurants. The ads let viewers see Red Robin’s pitchwoman, Melanie, as a Terminator character would. Viewers can use their smartphones to add another digital layer to the experience or watch on their desktops.
Social Winner
#PowerOfMakeup: Women post selfies with half their faces painted to end makeup shaming
Women are sharing selfies on social media that show half their face covered in makeup, and half without, to make a point about body image. The hashtag follows a viral YouTube video by hair and makeup artist, NikkieTutorials, where she paints just half her face with makeup and keeps the other half natural.
Social Losers
Heinz forced to apologize after digital code on its ketchup bottle takes customers to a porn website
Ketchup manufacturer, Heinz, has been forced to apologize after a digital barcode on one of its bottles directed a customer to a pornographic website.
Creative Spots of the Week
This Instagram profile is one giant canvas of pop culture
Each image lines up with the images surrounding it, almost as if every photo is a piece of the puzzle. And, as you scroll down the profile, you’ll notice it’s also a pop culture timeline. The most recent images nod to the NBA finals and Jurassic World, then comes the Full House reboot, then a mash-up of the Academy Awards.
