We're pleased to have Ad Age curating the YouTube homepage today, in a spotlight that celebrates the creative revolution going on now in the advertising and marketing business. In other words, these are ads you won't want to miss. Ad Age digital lead Michael Learmonth and Creativity managing editor Ann Diaz explain further in the video and guest post below:
We, in the business press, love to obsess over YouTube's business model, whether it can make money from the world's video through advertising. But today Advertising Age is curating the front page of YouTube to help tell an even bigger story, and that's YouTube's impact on advertising itself.
Once, TV ads were pretty much foisted on the public. Turn on the TV, and they were there. Some were great; most were not. Indeed, in some TV ads the intent is to annoy and grab the attention of a passive public. Enter YouTube. And while all of that is still true, the marketing world now has another powerful, democratic vehicle to reach a TV-sized audience. But there's a catch: the ad has to be something people want to watch.
Each day, YouTube is a global referendum on the world's video, and ads are very much a part of that mix. TV ads have always had the power of sight, sound and motion; now, to reach an audience in an on-demand world, they also have to delight, entertain and tell a story. That has inspired a creative revolution in the advertising and marketing business, just as it has in entertainment and attracted new talent to the industry. It has also refocused the industry away from obsessing over who's skipping the ads to producing ads no one wants to skip. Just like you can buy a 30-second spot on TV, you can also buy media on YouTube, but you can also earn an audience there, and increasingly ads, both made for the web and for TV, attempt to do just that.
Witness the Super Bowl advertisers, on the hook to the tune of $100,000 a second for time in the big game, increasingly gear their campaigns to live on on YouTube after its over. Or, take Evian's "Live Young" aka the "rollerskating babies," which never appeared on TV but have been passed around and watched more than 71 million times over the past year. The beauty of what works on the web is that there are no hard and fast rules. Ad Age picked some of the best of the recent best with a big hat tip to our sister pub, Creativity. It's true that YouTube sells ads. But it's also true YouTube has made advertising better. Take a look.
Michael Learmonth, Advertising Age, and Ann Diaz, Creativity
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
But We Don't Look a Day Over Three
Four years ago today, the very first messages went out on a couple of photography message boards to spread the word about a new lighting blog called Strobist. It's been a crazy ride, and I sometimes shake my head at all that has happened since. Keep reading for a sneak peek at a couple of things in store for the upcoming year. Read more »
Marlee Matlin’s new YouTube show and visit to Google
“The real handicap of deafness lies not in the ear; it lies in the mind.” - Marlee Matlin, March 30 talk at Google
I never expected that working at Google would allow me to meet a cherished idol, Marlee Matlin. Marlee’s acting prowess couldn’t help me with my work as a software engineer, yet we faced a common challenge: being Deaf in a hearing world. Like many other people, I was inspired by the way she succeeded on her own terms.
That’s why it was such an honor for me personally to have Marlee visit Google to discuss online captioning and deliver a talk to employees. As you may know, Marlee is an Academy Award winning actress, author and a national spokesperson for closed captioning access on behalf of the National Association for the Deaf (NAD) and other organizations. She talked about her autobiography, I’ll Scream Later, and accessibility issues facing people who are Deaf or hard of hearing. In addition, she shared a preview of a pilot for her new reality show on YouTube, “My Deaf Family.” We’ve published Marlee’s talk (with captions, of course!) and encourage you to check it out:
Marlee said she chose to publish her show on YouTube, “where I can call the shots and where I can guarantee the show will be broadcast with captions.” Since posting online, she’s already gotten more than 70,000 views and some great feedback and ratings. People from all around the world are checking out the show and sharing with friends. Take a look at the views rising recently:
As we discussed with Marlee and at our event last November, the online population of people who are Deaf or hard of hearing rivals the populations of people speaking many major world languages, such as Italian and Russian. Adding captions to video can help ensure the widest audience possible sees it, and with machine translation, that audience can expand to include people who speak any of 50 languages.
While expanding automatic captions to all users was an important step, we still encourage you to add manual captions to your videos. With our automatic-timing technology it’s easy, and manual captions are generally more accurate. We showed Marlee how to add captions to her new show in just a few minutes -- right before she got up on stage for the premiere.
We want to thank Marlee for taking the time to visit us, and for sharing her talent and vision with the broader YouTube community. We wish her the best of luck with her new show, and look forward to working together to expand online access. Personally, I’m still pinching myself after the visit; it’s not everyday that I get a compliment from a person like Marlee.
Ken Harrenstien, Software Engineer, recently watched “Jason Molenda In the Net.”
I never expected that working at Google would allow me to meet a cherished idol, Marlee Matlin. Marlee’s acting prowess couldn’t help me with my work as a software engineer, yet we faced a common challenge: being Deaf in a hearing world. Like many other people, I was inspired by the way she succeeded on her own terms.
That’s why it was such an honor for me personally to have Marlee visit Google to discuss online captioning and deliver a talk to employees. As you may know, Marlee is an Academy Award winning actress, author and a national spokesperson for closed captioning access on behalf of the National Association for the Deaf (NAD) and other organizations. She talked about her autobiography, I’ll Scream Later, and accessibility issues facing people who are Deaf or hard of hearing. In addition, she shared a preview of a pilot for her new reality show on YouTube, “My Deaf Family.” We’ve published Marlee’s talk (with captions, of course!) and encourage you to check it out:
Marlee said she chose to publish her show on YouTube, “where I can call the shots and where I can guarantee the show will be broadcast with captions.” Since posting online, she’s already gotten more than 70,000 views and some great feedback and ratings. People from all around the world are checking out the show and sharing with friends. Take a look at the views rising recently:
As we discussed with Marlee and at our event last November, the online population of people who are Deaf or hard of hearing rivals the populations of people speaking many major world languages, such as Italian and Russian. Adding captions to video can help ensure the widest audience possible sees it, and with machine translation, that audience can expand to include people who speak any of 50 languages.
While expanding automatic captions to all users was an important step, we still encourage you to add manual captions to your videos. With our automatic-timing technology it’s easy, and manual captions are generally more accurate. We showed Marlee how to add captions to her new show in just a few minutes -- right before she got up on stage for the premiere.
We want to thank Marlee for taking the time to visit us, and for sharing her talent and vision with the broader YouTube community. We wish her the best of luck with her new show, and look forward to working together to expand online access. Personally, I’m still pinching myself after the visit; it’s not everyday that I get a compliment from a person like Marlee.
Ken Harrenstien, Software Engineer, recently watched “Jason Molenda In the Net.”
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Gregory Heisler Whiteboards Bruce Springsteen
Welp, your Monday just got a little better.
Seriously, what would you rather do, catch up on your weekend emails or watch Gregory Heisler walk you through his iconic Time cover of Bruce Springsteen? Exactly. Your work can wait.
Heisler is one of my all-time favorite lighting photographers. I would watch him make toast.
But wait, there's more: A three-part video series of him talking about his broader approach to portraiture, inside. Read more »
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Paul Buff to Raise, Lower Prices
With the new cancer-curing Einstein monoblocs now confirmed to be shipping next week, Paul Buff has addressed a growing question: Why in the world would anyone want to buy regular old White Lightnings now?
They wouldn't, is the obvious answer. So Buff is dropping prices on White Lightning flashes -- and raising prices on the Einstein.
The price increases aren't in place yet, but they are coming. So if you'd rather pay $439.95 than $499.95 for an Einstein, you'd better get crackin'.
And if you are gonna sell your White Lightnings to fund Einstein purchases, I'd get on that, too -- before eBay finds out about the price drop. (No word on exactly how much the WL prices will be dropping.)
New Einstein pricing will not affect current Einstein pre-orders, which are estimated to be at approximately 4 gazillion. And Paul said he'd also give a 30-day notice before implementing the new, market-balancing prices.
:: Einstein Product Page ::
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Source: Fred Miranda forums, via Lighting Rumors
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Friday, April 2, 2010
Al Gore + you(?) = Earth Day's 40th celebration
The success of the film An Inconvenient Truth had several outcomes: it moved the issue of climate change into the spotlight and forced average citizens to think about their consumption; it catapulted former U.S. Vice President Al Gore into the role of global climate champion; and it demonstrated that film has the power to promote social change.
In anticipation of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, we're building upon these results by partnering with Vice President Al Gore and his organization, the Alliance for Climate Protection, on our next round of Video Volunteers.
This month, as Video Volunteers curator, Gore is asking you to use film to do good by creating a short, inspiring video for your favorite climate change organization. The top three videos will appear on the YouTube homepage alongside a video from Gore himself as part of a very special Earth Day spotlight. Here he is with more details about the program and why it's imperative that you take action:
Earth Day is on April 22, so we're working with an abridged Video Volunteers timeline this month. All entries must be submitted by April 19 to be considered, so get your camera out today. And if you're a nonprofit organization working on issues related to climate change, this could be your chance to make a big impact on the YouTube homepage. You can post an opportunity for a Video Volunteer here.
Visit www.youtube.com/videovolunteers now to get started!
Ramya Raghavan, Nonprofits & Activism Manager, recently watched "Polio is Back in Guinea."
In anticipation of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, we're building upon these results by partnering with Vice President Al Gore and his organization, the Alliance for Climate Protection, on our next round of Video Volunteers.
This month, as Video Volunteers curator, Gore is asking you to use film to do good by creating a short, inspiring video for your favorite climate change organization. The top three videos will appear on the YouTube homepage alongside a video from Gore himself as part of a very special Earth Day spotlight. Here he is with more details about the program and why it's imperative that you take action:
Earth Day is on April 22, so we're working with an abridged Video Volunteers timeline this month. All entries must be submitted by April 19 to be considered, so get your camera out today. And if you're a nonprofit organization working on issues related to climate change, this could be your chance to make a big impact on the YouTube homepage. You can post an opportunity for a Video Volunteer here.
Visit www.youtube.com/videovolunteers now to get started!
Ramya Raghavan, Nonprofits & Activism Manager, recently watched "Polio is Back in Guinea."
Thursday, April 1, 2010
It's April 1st …
UPDATE: Okay, I think they got the idea. They pretty quickly retreated to voicemail, and then were beseiged by messages of yet more barking -- and even some panting.
Long story short -- they have promised to never, ever spam this site again. I'll believe it when I see it, of course. And yes, I have other things in mind if they start up again. Fun things.
Many thanks, folks. Apparently, your bark is worse than their bite. I am gonna pull the number now, but leave up the post.
__________
[ORIGINAL POST]
If you have a moment -- and a phone -- please continue reading for a way you can help me pull off a little April Fool's fun.
Okay, maybe it's equal parts fun and revenge. But still … Read more »
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