Yes, "Whopper Sacrifice" makes the list, as does Ashton Kutcher's race with CNN to become the first "brand" to top 1 million Twitter followers, or "Tweeps."

And yes, there's the "word of web" effect of moviegoers boosting or killing box office based on their Twitter posts.

But while the Times looks at social media in general, in marketing I would add, for better or worse:

• The Twitification of print ads, as most recently demonstrated by Motorola and Trident Gum - as well as most movie websites (see, most recently: "Book of Eli")

• The consumers-recruit-Subway to save NBC's "Chuck"

• Coke Zero's Facial Profiler Facebook app (not to be confused with HP's facial recognition app)

• Pepsi's community-focused Refresh Project

• The social media campaign for Paramount Picture's 'Paranormal Activity'

• The pay-per-tweet scandal

• Social media as a back-to-school marketing staple

• Big brands like Skittles attempting to make social web their websites

• Read the Times piece, here.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

BRANDING UNBOUND WAS JUST THE BEGINNING:

>>> CLICK HERE FOR A FIRST LOOK <<<

 My completely subjective, overly biased, ridiculously incomplete list of favorites from 2009, below.

It's amazing, looking back, how many favs were based on apps rather than campaigns. It's also amazing how I couldn't fit everything I wanted to in a list of only 10!

10. 1-800-Flowers Mother's Day Mobile Campaign

9. Tie: Carnival Cruises Mobile-Powered 'Sidewalk Aquariums"   and Stella Artois' Augmented Reality iPhone App

8. Paramount Pictures' Mobile Campaign for 'Paranormal Activity'

7. Sephora's Mobile Consumer Product Reviews

6. Toyota's 'Great Time to Sign' Mobile Marketing Campaign

5. Rascal Flatts' 'Unstoppable' Mobile Marketing Campaign

4. Anything Fanta did in Mobile This Year

3. Pizza Hut's Blockbuster iPhone App

2. Tie: Starbuck's Mobile Payment App/Benjamin Moore & Sherwin Williams iPhone Apps

1. Nationwide Insurance's iPhone App

That top honor goes for the completely simple, yet beautifully utilitarian nature of Nationwide's app. This is the whole reason branded apps should exist - to bring true value and function to our customers. Well done.

An added note: The evolution of Nike Plus and Kraft's iFood Assistant definitely warrant mention, as do many other initiatives - I didn't include these two here just because the original apps came out before January 2009. And T-Mobile's Flash Mobs campaign would be mentioned, except that while the mobs were facilitated by mobile, they were not experienced via the channel, so I left them out. On the fluffier end of things, I loved Ogilvy's "Let It Snow" holiday iPhone app.

Lastly, a few of my least favorites. Not slamming anyone here. Just saying these were among my least favorite:

3. 'Ask The Hoff' David Hasselhoff iPhone App

2. Starbucks' Seemingly Hijacked Twitter Campaign

1. Pepsi's 'Amp Before You Score' iPhone App for Amp Energy Drink

Congratulations to everyone involved with all of these efforts, favorite or note.

I can't wait to see what kind of new innovations you'll create in 2010.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

BRANDING UNBOUND WAS JUST THE BEGINNING:

>>> CLICK HERE FOR A FIRST LOOK <<<

At least that's the word from Wired (by way of adverblog), which reports today that Adidas will launch a line of five new sneakers this next year that will enable users to access an augmented reality world by holding said sneakers up to their webcams.

“The foundation of augmented reality lies in adding a layer to the real world,” Chris Barbour, head of digital marketing for Adidas Originals, tells the pub. “That’s what we have done. We have taken a real world item and added a fantastic virtual world on top of that”

After the official launch, Adidas will work with game developer xForm to create augmented reality games that will employ the sneakers and both key and game controller for the experiences. 

In my new book, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND (Amacom Books, May 2010), I look at the growing use of augmented reality by major brands - and how it will move beyond mere gimmickry to compelling experiences that engage consumers as never before possible.

Check out the book here.

And check out the Adidas initiative, here.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

BRANDING UNBOUND WAS JUST THE BEGINNING:

>>> CLICK HERE FOR A FIRST LOOK <<<

 Pity "The Book of Eli," the new actioner starring Denzel Washington and opening January 15.

First, there will be the inevitable (and likely unfavorable) comparisons to another post-apocalyptic movie, "The Road," from which much of its production design seems to be borrowed, but which isn't stirring Oscar buzz quite like the Viggo Mortensen movie. 

What it does have, like so many things these days, is a page that features a real-time stream of Twitter feeds from #thebookofeli.

The movie appears to be about the aftermath of said apocalypse, in which Eli has come into possession of the one book that can lead mankind back to civilization. From the name of the movie, and the trailer, you might guess the Bible, or maybe the Federalist Papers, though it could very well be that 1966 classic, Sewers for Growing America: How to Plan, Design, Finance and Build Modern Sewer Systems" or even "Clinical Pharmacology Made Ridiculously Simple."

Whatever the book turns out to be, the film's tagline reads, "Some will kill to have it. He will kill to protect it." Another reads "Religion Is Power," which doesn't bode well for remembering the lessons of whatever history leads to this apocalypse.

If the adoring Twitter feeds are to believed, however, this religiously-themed film is going to be wicked cool. Holyshit_itsJak tweets "#thebookofeli is gonna be the tits!," and Mikedefault tweets, "@gwhitla (referring to the film's author), I really really really really really really really really really really really want to see your movie #thebookofeli.

I'll definitely check it out. Here's hoping the characters in the movie are more into actually reading it than fighting over it.

Check it out (the movie, that is), here.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

BRANDING UNBOUND WAS JUST THE BEGINNING:

>>> CLICK HERE FOR A FIRST LOOK <<<

Amazon has posted the official sales page for THE ON-DEMAND BRAND, which looks to have an official debut on May 1. You can sign up to be notified when the item becomes available for pre-order, here.

Note that the listed subtitle is incorrect (the book cover image shows the correct subhead; word has it the post will be corrected soon). 

I'll let you know when the websites for B&N and Borders posts the book, too.

BRANDING UNBOUND WAS JUST THE BEGINNING:

>>> CLICK HERE FOR A FIRST LOOK <<<

You'll want to check out my exclusive interview with Alex Bogusky, ADWEEK's Creative Director of the Decade, in my new book, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND (AMACOM, April, 2010), which hits stores in April. Bogusky talks about his creative approach doing "whatever it takes" to make his clients famous in the digital age.

You'll also go behind the scenes with Derek Robson, managing partner of Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, ADWEEK's Agency of the Decade, as he talks about Goodby's efforts to reinvent itself for the on-demand era.

And you'll get the inside scoop on ADWEEK readers Super Bowl Spot of the Decade, "Free Doritos," from the guys who created it - and a whole lot more.

Okay, that's enough shameless self promotion for today.

Check out the book, here.

And check out ADWEEK's Best of the Decade report, here.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

BRANDING UNBOUND WAS JUST THE BEGINNING:

>>> CLICK HERE FOR A FIRST LOOK <<<