#MakeItCount – Nike Film Director Scraps Project, Travels World, and Creates Viral Hit

Kaitlyn Dennihy sent me a link rogue video that said almost nothing at all about Nike, lasted four minutes, and made me want to go out and purchase the product more than any commercial I can think of recently. The story behind it’s creation is even more fascinating than the ad itself. But first, watch the movie:

Casey Neistat, film director, was hired to create his third commercial for Nike. Tired of the same routine, they took a chance that could have caused them to be sued for breach of contract. From the movie:

Nike asked me to make a movie about what it meant to ‘Make It Count.’ Instead of making their movie, I spent the entire budget travelling around the world with my friend Max. We’d keep going until the money ran out. It lasted 10 days.

And this story is true.

Simple Blessings

It is a great privilege to give back even just a relatively small percentage of what I earn each year. While it can require difficult sacrifices to donate, it’s certainly rewarding. Here are some of the organizations I supported this year (and each do amazing things with money donated from the community):

Alzheimer’s Association (Georgia Chapter): This is a cause very close to my heart. I worked at the Alzheimer’s Association for a year and a half and grew their social media presences before switching to Engauge. Their mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research and promotion of brain health, and to enhance care and support for all individuals, their families and caregivers. More than 200,000 individuals in Georgia have Georgia, and it is often the family of those individuals that is most devastated - financially, emotionally, and mentally – by the  fatal disease. Donate here (after all, I did build this website back in my time there).

Digitizing Memories: Social Memories Facebook App

Social Memories Facebook app scrapbooks your digital (Facebook) life into an actual scrapbook (that costs 17 euro). However, you can also get the scrapbook digitally … For free … which allowed the experience to go viral.

It is a bit hard to read on the screen, but I love the visual interface where you can “turn” through the pages. It shows graphs of your most popular album, who you tagged the most in photos, your most popular status update, etc,. When I shared it on Facebook, they turned the (approximately) 20-page book into a 6-page album. Not sure of the reason behind that.

Sample album (mine)

Social Memories fanpage and app: http://www.facebook.com/socialmemories

Credit: Original story highlighting it from The Next Web: “10 Facebook campaigns to inspire your business”

Excellence is Personal

Yesterday, I was discussing a tough situation with a supervisor to get his advice. He emphasized the importance of ensuring we were giving our best and said:

‘Not delivering excellent work is not only a question of quality … but also of integrity.’

Top 10 List of Geeky Wedding Cakes

Wedding season is here, and the wedding cake is one component of the elaborate production of the day.  For those who may shiver at the thought of a large, traditional wedding with all focus on them, I found some encouraging inspiration for ways to still let one’s inner-geek shine on that special day: geeky wedding cakes.

10. Star Wars 

Good Goes Underground, Viral for Mother’s Day

Last Mother’s Day, Epic Change gave individuals who wanted to gift a mom on Mother’s Day a special way to express their love.  In To Mama With Love 2010, I selected a place on a map that was special to the person I was gifting (such as NYC, where my mom and I recently visited on a trip together), I created a custom card, and the gift recipients were notified to pick up their card and that a donation was made in their honor for Mama Lucy.  My mom, stepmom, and other special “moms” in my life loved the gift!

To Mama With Love 2011

And in 2011, Epic Change continues the excitement by activating a viral, underground movement to take the campaign to even great heights upon its release on May 3rd on the website.  This morning, I received a “secret invite” to join the “super secret” Facebook group where there are only two rules:

1. Keep secrets hush-hush
2. Actively participate

And, I better be careful in this blog post as “Lurkers & people who blow our cover make us sad & will be excommunicated.” They have a ton more information for members of the secret group that I cannot disclose, but I can say that the material is phenomenal!

Articulated Simply. Beautifully. “How To Steal Like an Artist” by Austin Kleon

One of my best friends follows work, art and culture closely in Austin, TX, and she sent me this recent favorite. It is rare and refreshing to observe complex ideas articulated simply.

The full piece: How To Steal Like an Artist

My three favorite excerpts (and expanded below):

1. Create your own family tree of those who you allow influence you.
2. Step 1: Wonder at something. Step 2: Invite others to wonder with you.
3. Creativity is subtraction.