Are These The Funniest Super Bowl Commercials Ever? The Top 10

From Mashable

The Super Bowl isn’t just the biggest day in American football. It’s also the advertising world’s shining moment.

 

Brands and agencies pull out all the stops to make an impression on the game’s captive audience. Most frequently, they turn to the bizarre and the offbeat, seeking to burn messages into viewers’ brains with humor.

Who can forget the beer-shilling frogs whose guttural utterances joined to say “Bud-wei-ser”? Or the Monster.com kids with decidedly underwhelming ambitions in life? Last year, a young Darth Vader wannabe elicited laughs for Volkswagen.

And the ads had better be funny; commercial slots are going for a whopping $3.5 million a pop this year.

But with so much sensory overload on Super Bowl Sunday every single year, it can be hard to keep track of the best 30-second spots of all time. Here, Mashable shares with you a top-10 list put together by the team at MentorMob, a content curation and aggregation startup based in Chicago.

Maybe you don’t agree with this list, though, and think the MentorMob folks forgot a few classics. (Ribbit.) No problem. MentorMob’s model allows its users to edit public playlists of videos and webpages as they see fit. So if you want to add something, just click on this link to head over to the MentorMob site, and sign in to make your changes.

VIDEO:
Click Here to See The Full List…

What do you think is the funniest Super Bowl commercial ever?

Facebook Timeline Goes Live Thursday: How to Enable It With One Click

The New Facebook Timeline goes live Thursday. If you want to get a look at yours earlier: You can enable the timeline with one click, and then publish it for all to see.

Follow this quick slide show, and before you know it you’ll have the Facebook Timeline enabled on your own account. The best part is, after you click the “Get Timeline” button, you have seven days until it automatically goes live, but until then, you’re the only one who will see it until you authorize it to be published. However, if you don’t want to wait seven days, you can publish it any time by clicking “Publish Now.” (Read More at Mashable)

Click on the photo to see the slideshow…

Sunset Strip Music Festival 2011 and 10-foot Gibson Guitars

Gibson Guitars and Sunset Strip Music Festival salutes 2011 honorees MOTLEY CRUE at an exclusive tribute event! 3 Day Concert and 10-Foot Gibson Guitars. Featuring ‘Dressed To Kill’, the 10-foot KISS Guitar by Visual Artist James Rutnam. (See The Guitar)

The oversized Gibson guitar sculptures were created by locally and nationally acclaimed visual artists and placed along the 1.6-mile Sunset Strip in front of the boulevard’s landmarks and businesses, including the Whisky A Go-Go, The Roxy Theatre and Sunset Marquis.

Each guitar sculpture celebrates a musician, personality or artist unique to The Sunset Strip’s history and Gibson Guitar.

'Dressed To Kill' The 10-Foot Gibson Guitar by James Rutnam

The Festival Schedule:
THURSDAY, AUGUST 18
This year SSMF salutes 2011 honorees MOTLEY CRUE – A limited number of 3-Day VIP tickets are available, which include entrance to this private event.
Live music in the venues:
The Veronicas, The Tender Box, Run Run Run @ Viper Room
The Faceless @ Whisky A Go-Go
Uriah Heep @ Key Club

*Previous honorees have included Slash (2010), Ozzy Osbourne (2009) and Lou Adler, Mario Maglieri & Elmer Valentine (2008).

FRIDAY, AUGUST 19
Six legendary venues, one full night of music

Motion City Soundtrack @ House of Blues
dredg @ Key Club
Buckcherry @ The Roxy Theatre
Purple Melon, Lady Sinatra @ Viper Room
Ray Manzarek & Robby Krieger of The Doors @ Whisky A Go-Go

SATURDAY, AUGUST 20
Street festival! Two outdoor stages on Sunset between San Vicente and Doheny, performances in the venues, vendors, VIP rooftop lounge, VIP areas in The Roxy and Key Club, beer garden, autograph tent and interactive experiences all day on The Strip.

This year’s street fest will feature performances by:
MOTLEY CRUE, BUSH, PUBLIC ENEMY, MATT & KIM, ESCAPE THE FATE, THE DIRTY HEADS, COBRA STARSHIP, SHE WANTS REVENGE, BLACK VEIL BRIDES, TRIBAL SEEDS, Voxhaul Broadcast, Felix Cartal, Pigeon John, Letlive, The Limousines, Imagine Dragons, Motochrist, Divinity Roxx + 50 bands.

More Info about ‘Dressed To Kill’, the 10-foot KISS Guitar by Visual Artist James Rutnam.

More Info about The 2011 Festival.

KISS Website: The Guitar on  www.kissonline.com

How To Launch Facebook Skype Video Chat [Photo Tutorial]

You can now make video calls on Facebook, thanks to a new Skype-powered feature the social network launched Wednesday.

During the product announcement, Mark Zuckerberg described how his elderly neighbor in Palo Alto asked if he could to video chat his grandson on Facebook — without the hassle of setting up a new account or downloading a program. “Tune in,” Zuckerberg told him.

It’s not quite as seamless as Zuckerberg’s neighbor was hoping, however. The first time you try to video chat someone or answer a call, you will indeed be asked to download a program. The chat window will then ask you to select some Flash settings.

After that, the feature works like “a mini-Skype client,” as Skype CEO Tony Bates mentioned during the announcement. It also has a neat option to record a video message if the person you’re calling doesn’t answer. Here’s a brief walk-through in pictures. Read More Here at Mashable.

Everything You Need To Know About Google’s +1 Button

In March Google introduced The +1 Button, a simple way to “Like” Google search results…

When you’re signed into your Google account, every Google search result will now have a +1 icon next to it . If you find the search result useful or just enjoy the linked site, you hit the +1 icon. Google says by +1-ing a result you’re giving it a recommendation, a stamp of approval. More +1′s on a result means the site is more interesting.

Social

You can see what your friends +1′d which ideally lends more credence to a particular search result. Imagine if your best friend found a link interesting and +1′d it. When you stumble upon that in the future, you’re probably going to click it.

The +1 button is shorthand for “this is pretty cool” or “you should check this out.” Click +1 to publicly give something your stamp of approval. Your +1′s can help friends, contacts, and others on the web find the best stuff when they search.

Google Evolution

Google +1 is another sign that Google wants to evolve into a more social search engine. All those +1′s they keep track of will not only help Google make their searches better, but also make them more relevant to your social circle. As the Internet gets clotted in cobwebs, having friends personally +1 the best sites keeps Google from falling too far behind Facebook and Twitter in social sharing.

Ranking

An exact quote from Google’s David Byttow, from when the feature was first announced: “We’ll also start to look at +1’s as one of the many signals we use to determine a page’s relevance and ranking, including social signals from other services. For +1′s, as with any new ranking signal, we’ll be starting carefully and learning how those signals affect search quality over time.”

Installation

I’ve just installed it on one of my clients’ websites today. As the days go by I am pretty confident that she will get the +1′s and the good recommendations for all to see. (www.balanceandpower.com)

Do you think Google’s +1 can help people find out about your website?

New Website, Logo and Branding (IGBI Inc)

Logo

Just finished the website and logo for Iconic Global Brands, Inc

IGBI has secured a master license agreement of recognized entertainment content and related assets, including the rights to the name, image and likeness of Judy Garland through its exclusive relationship with Royal American Film Company, LLC, which manages the assets of the Judy Garland Brand.

• Website Design
• Logo
• Hosting and Domain Management

Check out the site here

YourName.com – Is it taken?

How dare they!

Has someone beat you to it?

Here’s a quick way to check if someone has yourname.com

Check it out here.

Facebook Needs Love Button, For Canadians, ‘Like’ is just not enough

Facebook Needs Love Button, For Canadians, ‘Like’ is just not enough

In a TV satellite broadcast seen by millions, The Beatles told us ‘All You Need is Love”.  Now Canadians are spreading a similar message. Last week, a group of “love activists” stormed the corner of Bay and Bloor Streets in Toronto to petition for a “love button” on Facebook.

Currently, facebook offers users the feature of “liking” friend’s pictures, comments, and status updates by clicking the “like”  button, but “love” isn’t presently an option. According to Metro News columnist Kyla Sergejew, a “boisterous crowd gathered outside Facebook Canada headquarters at noon chanting and passing out flyersfor Virgin Mobile’s campaign for a Love Button to become an official function on Facebook.”

Virgin Mobile has launched a website for their “Join the Love” campaign, a webspace dedicated to gather signatures in support of adding a “love button” to Facebook. “We just don’t ‘like’ things” boasts the Virgin homepage, “we LOVE them. So we’re petitioning Facebook to add a love button so you can share your love all over the place.” The website directs readers to sign a petition in favor of the love button. The petition currently claims 2,994 signatures, including the likes of singer/actress Mandy Moore.

A love button would give Facebook users the ability to express degrees of affection. If Virgin is successful with their “love button” campaign, will they be adding a whole new dimension of expressiveness to facebook?

Or will the ‘Like” button go out of fashion? I will say this, if they do add a ‘Love’ button, I’ll be the first to love The Beatles.

What do you think of a “love” button?

Powerful Teleclass Landing Pages by James Rutnam

See how a great landing page design can increase your conversion rates.

James Rutnam specializes in designing Powerful Teleclass Landing Pages and can help you with the promotion and marketing of your class. Teleclasses and teleseminars provide a platform for online service business owners to connect virtually with prospects around the country and around the world via a teleconference phone line and share information with them.

Many service professionals use paid or free teleseminars to grow their lists, establish their expertise, and deliver training and coaching programs.

It’s an ideal platform for information delivery, as the attendee can listen from the comfort of their home, office or car, without any of the difficulties of having to be present for a live, in-person event.

James has designed Powerful Landing Pages for many of his clients:

Recent Landing Pages:

Selling From The Heart Course Page
Selling From The Heart Free Class Page
Robert Notter, Marketing & Mindset Coach

Motivational Whisperers Millionaire Mindset Challenge
Dawn Abraham, Qualified Life Coach

James’ Powerful Landing Pages Include:

 
• Great Design
• Search Engine Optimization
• Free Marketing Consult

If you’re a coach, consultant or business owner:
Contact James about Landing Pages That SELL….

“To say that James is an awesome designer is an understatement…”

View All Testimonials

“To say that James is an awesome designer is an understatement. His work in creating my teleclass and course page for my Selling from the Heart Program far exceeded my expectations. He listened to what I wanted, and worked diligently to create the look/feel in the websites, in a way that truly expresses who I am. Everyone loves it. Plus, in just a few days, it’s already helped me generate almost 600 new contacts. I am so grateful!”  Robert Notter, Marketing & Mindset Coach Selling From The Heart

“James is highly talented and I strongly recommend him!”

View All Testimonials

“I’ve worked with James on numerous projects and get rave reviews every single time. He is highly talented and I strongly recommend him. If you’re looking for a cost effective, talented, stand-up web designer; James is your man.”  Dawn Abraham, Qualified Life Coach Motivational Whisperers

The “Top 6″ Reasons to Add Teleclasses in Your Marketing

1. To use it as a lead generator to get people interested in your services or products.

2. To keep in touch with your current client and prospective database.

3. To upsell current clients into new or additional services or products.

4. To be seen as more of an expert in your industry or field.

5. To use as a way to co-promote with other complimentary businesses to both of your lists in order to refer business to each other.

6. To record and develop into an info-product you can sell.

FREE PDF DOWNLOAD:

“How to Plan a Great Teleclass”

If you’re a coach, consultant or business owner:
Contact James about Landing Pages That SELL….

Advice for people who have no time to blog

The social media world falls victim to an environment of “haves” and “have nots.” There are those people that are very socially connected. They’re on Twitter, Facebook, and they blog all the time. And then there are those others that look at the “socially connected” in either complete awe (“Wow, how do I get to be like you?”) or derision (“Who has time to do all this stuff?”).

Sometimes the problem for the social media “have nots” is that they haven’t figured out how to ingrain social media into their daily lives. Usually the most common complaint heard is either “what would I talk about” or I “have no time to blog.” If you feel either way, let me reassure you that you do have plenty to talk about and you do actually have time to blog. Maybe the problem is you haven’t figured out how to register these “moments.” Finding stories to blog about and recording them effectively requires constant active thinking. Get good enough at it and it can become second nature. You see good stories, and opportunities. The headlines jump out at you and you get that burst of inspiration, allowing you to quickly blog like the pros.

How to find time to blog

What do you want to be known for? – Often the reason people don’t start blogging is they don’t know what they want to blog about. The answer to that question can be found when you answer the simple end result question, “What do you want to be known for?” Once you know that, you’ll be able to form the editorial voice of your blog.

Think in headlines – What ideas and opinions do you have? You’ll want to formulate them as headlines. Look at the type of headlines that catch your eye and how the same structures could be used to be the framework for what you want to talk about. Popular headline structures include numbered lists, how to’s, best practices, and what not to do. How can your stories be formed in these headline structures?

What do you keep repeating? – We all find ourselves repeating the same personal anecdotes or explanations of our business. In person, or over email. Every time you find yourself in one of those “I’m repeating one of those stories again,” write a quick note to yourself. That story can be your next blog post. And the next time someone asks you that same question, instead of repeating yourself, just send them a link to that post!

Look at your sent email – Go through the past couple of weeks of sent emails and see if you had one of those “I’m repeating myself” moments or maybe you just wrote a long email to someone. Take a look at that message. Would it make a good blog post if you did a little editing? If so, do it.

Blog about a great conversation – Conferences, trade shows, and dinners are where you’ll engage in great conversations. Make a note of the conversation and immediately write something about it when you get home when it’s still fresh in your mind.

Tell personal stories – Popular articles are actually based on real stories that happen to you or other people.

Keep a “what to blog about” file – Ideas will pop into your head all the time. When you’re out and about talking to people or browsing online. You may not have the time to write the entire post at a given moment, but you will have time to make a note about it. Try keeping a file of just headlines on your computer.

Have someone blog for you

Lastly, if at the end of the day you find you still don’t have time, you can always have someone blog for you. I have a few clients I blog for on a regular basis. They know the importance of blogging and keeping their content out there for the world to see.  I simply blog  for them and post the links on facebook, twitter etc. An easy and affordable option for those who are really too busy to blog…

Here’s one example: Concepts In Color Blog

I blog once a week for Concepts In Color, keeping their voice out there and of course, repeatedly driving traffic to their website. So, give blogging a try or contact me and we can talk about the option of having  your blog and content researched and posted for you.

In either case, good luck and I’ll keep an eye out for you on the internet!

- James

James Rutnam is a Freelance Website Designer and SEO Expert in Los Angeles, CA helping clients from coast to coast. Contact James Here

Thanks to www.sparkminute.com for inspiring this post.