Break Through Buzz is the creative stuff that impressed Ketchum’s creative community this week. Check out what captured our imaginations and inspires us to keep pushing the boundaries of possibility.
Happiness = Reality – Expectations
Selected by Bill Reihl
What it is: This illustrated blog post about the frustrations of the millennial generation went viral this week, and it even ended up being reblogged by the Huffington Post.
What makes it break through: This is mostly just amusing, and it does perpetuate a stereotype about millennials, but I think it breaks through because it is based on truth and explains the conditions this generation is grappling with.
“Good day. Please use hashtag #coats thanks.”
Selected by Michael Maldonado
What it is: Until this Monday, the website of clothing retailer Burlington Coat Factory had mistakenly been linking to the parody Twitter handle @BurlCoatFactory, which had been posting bizarre, yet hilarious, messages like ‘Happy Monday tweeps did you have a weekend and if so, good.’
What makes it break through: For just a moment, it looked like Burlington was at the forefront of incorporating satire into its corporate branding. Only two days after outlets began covering the strange tweets, followers grew from 300 to 4,800. Unfortunately, Burlington confirmed this was not their official Twitter channel and fixed the link on their site. Hoax or not, it’s a great lesson in how brands can easily raise eyebrows (and followers) by incorporating a bit of perfectly executed comedy.
Reading and Running: A Match Made in Heaven
Selected by Charlotte Haigh
What it is: If you’ve ever been torn between reading your latest fiction obsession and fitting in a much-needed jog, you’ll be into this new app called “Read and Run,” which syncs your movement while jogging with the e-reader page you are glued to.
Why it’s breakthrough: This is one of those inventions that made me say, ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’ In a world where attention spans are short and multi-tasking is expected, it’s a great way to kill two birds with one stone.
The Ghosts of Creativity
Selected by Jeff Lewonczyk
What it is: Cartoonist Grant Snider regularly posts Web comics that speak to the dreams and anxieties of creative people everywhere. One of his latest posts is a creativity-themed riff on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, but he’s also tackled subjects relevant to communicators here, here, here, here, here… heck, you should just visit his blog, Incidental Comics and read everything. (Bonus Link: A new post on Snider’s working process.)
What makes it break through: Snider’s comics aren’t just about creativity – they’re a perfect marriage of form and content, using creative visual storytelling to bring his own ideas to life. Each example can be an inspiring jumping-off point for nearly any project.
The Spirit of Giving
Selected by Angelica Carter
What it is: A moving TV commercial done for a Thai mobile company.
What makes it break through: This ad humanizes a mobile company in a unique way – it doesn’t just show consumers engaged with each other while using their product, but instead creates an opportunity to develop brand loyalty by showing the sentiment that the company looks to instill in its users.
