Digital Stuffing

The Campaign

VSP, the US’s ‘largest eyecare service provider’ (I’m guessing that translates into health insurance in English), has decided to get more into social media. They’re doing this with ‘The Great Bernie‘, a campaign that combines a website, Facebook app and Twitter feed to give

“non-seers” a glimpse into their wondrous futures featuring their Facebook friends, photos and more. Bernie, who has been touring the globe revealing futures, is reportedly eager to transfer his visionary skills into the digital age with The Great Bernie.

So by connectiing with Facebook, you’re going to hoepfully get some interesting content posted to your Facebook for you and your friends to enjoy.

The Great Bernie (Screenshot from site)

What I think

This is a nice, if slightly obvious, connection for a eyecare service provider, allowing you to see the future clearly. However, the implementation lacks something for me. The site is well designed and put together with a retro-feel associated with turbaned fortune tellers, but I have no idea WHAT is does. It’s asking me to Connect with Facebook, therefore exposing my connections to something I have no control over without giving me a hint of what it will offer. They’re asking me to get involved in a blind value exchange; I know what I’m bringing to the bargain, my connections, but there’s no indication of what I’m getting, not even on the Facebook page.

My reaction to this is definitely influenced by my reluctance to let any brand post to my feeds without it being clear why this needs to happen, but I’m not the only one. If you want something, it’s only fair to be clear what the bargain is for.

The Pitch

Again not strong on details, a short email in exactly the same language as the ‘ VSP social media press release’. No explanation of what is does. There’s a suggestion I can ask for more images (there’s actually a few on the Facebook page, which are stills from the video). But I don;t think I should have to ask what it does to my Facebook feed! I’m left feeling perplexed more than anything else about this campaign.

I think they need to expand the email to give more information and add some examples to the website to explain a little more, to avoid those barriers.

Sitting at home yesterday morning, I saw a tweet from a friend about a Zombie Walk he was organising. He was doing work to promote Capcom’s newest game Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, which launches for the Wii at the end of the month. Now I’m a fan of Resident Evil ( I think I have 4 versions of the game) but I’ve never been a zombie, so this looked a good moment of fun to partake in.

Wandering down to the Tate Modern, I got made up and then spent a lot of time taking photos of the real professional zombies, who came all dressed and made up. It turns out that they were part of the Viking Hat Zombie Group, who went on later to a Zombie Pub Crawl. It was great fun, with tourists asking for lots of photos. At the end of it, we took part in a photoshoot and then staggered and moaned around for a chance to win game copies and a Wii.

Now this isn’t digital marketing, my normal topic, but talking to a few other attendees, it was spread through digital means – Twitter and group sites. It also results in a digital trail from photos, videos and write ups. It’s part of the a mixed approach, to connect with community and with the press. (But mainly, from my perspective, it was fun!)