The Wall Street Journal Partners with Foursquare
The Wall Street Journal has joined the growing list of newspapers that offer Foursquare content. Like Metro News and The New York Times, the Journal will offer users-on-the-go restaurant tips from its Lunch Box column and three NYC challenge based badges - The Urban Adventurer, the Banker and the Lunch Box.
Source: Mashable.com, 4/26/10

Probably your Only Chance to get to Cannes
Cannes has partnered with YouTube to give young filmmakers a shot at attending the prestigious Cannes festival. To participate in the YouTube-Cannes Young Lions 48 Hour Ad Contest, creatives age 18-28 must write, film and edit a short film in only 48 hours. Entries will be uploaded to the Cannes Lions channel for public judgment.
Source: AdFreak.com, 4/27/10

Homeless man sits on Billboard to get Home
Would you send a text to help the homeless? What if that person was sitting right in front of you? That was the thought behind Mobile Loaves & Fishes, a homelessness advocacy group, recent I AM HERE campaign. The group had a man named Danny - who had been living on Austin streets with his handicapped wife, Maggie, after losing his job 15 years ago - on top of a billboard with an sign telling people that if they text the word "Danny" to 20222 they could help purchase him a home. By the end of the week, 1,200 people sent a $10 text, and Danny and Maggie now have a new home.
Source: AdFreak.com, 4/28/10

Augmented Reality Billboard Puts Passersby in a Street Fight
In an effort to create awareness for violence against public workers in the Netherlands, the Dutch government created an interactive PSA, which combined real-time video with blue screen technology to create a video of workers being physically assaulted. They played on a digital billboard in Amsterdam - people walking by at first thought it was a pre-recorded video, and were shocked that no one was helping the workers. They then realized that they were the people on the screen doing nothing to stop the violence in front of them.
Source: Mashable.com, 4/29/10

Linking Customer Loyalty with Social Networking
Pepsi has launched a new iPhone application, Pepsi Loot, which aims to drive traffic into partner restaurants. Based on a user's Foursquare location, the application will send live notification of exclusive deals and offers at nearby eateries that sell the PepsiCo products - tuning their mobile device into a virtual loyalty card.
Source: NYTimes.com, 4/29/10

Western Union Effort Urges Cash Gifts for Mom
According to a recent consumer survey by Western Union, 40 percent of moms pretend to like gifts they receive, and 30 percent felt they received a thoughtful gift or did not receive a gift at all. With its "Return the Love" campaign, Western Union hopes Mom will get what she really wants this year - cash. Sending some green will do more than make Mom smile; the wire service has partnered with Grammy Award-winning recording artist Wyclef Jean and "Queen of Latin Pop" Paulina Rubio to host a special tribute concert for military moms.
Source: MediaPost.com, 4/29/10

'Time' Names Conan, NPH and Banksy Among its Most Influential People
On Thursday, Time Magazine released their annual list of "The World's Most Influential People." The list - which highlights influencers from a variety of fields including civil rights, politics, science, business, technology and pop culture - has created a storm of online chatter from national news sites and blogs surrounding who should and shouldn't have been included. There has also been a great deal of commentary on the four-panel cover which features President Bill Clinton with Lady Gaga. The issue will hit newsstands on May 10.
Source: USAToday.com (Pop Candy), 4/29/10

London Firm Today Translations Give Tourists A Hand in Understanding Confusing Brooklynese
Looking for an easy job that makes $210 a day? Do you speak Brooklynese? If not, Fuhgeddaboudit! London-based Today Translations is looking for a Brooklynite to help European travelers understand the slang and nuances associated with Brooklyn speak. Think you have what it takes - check out their Craigslist ad to apply.
Source: NYDailyNews.com 4/29/10

China Invites World to 6-Month Party
This week, China launched the world's largest World's Fair, and everyone is invited. The World Expo 2010 Shanghai launched Thursday night with a fireworks display and a long list of broken world records; dubbed the "Economic Olympics," the event will be attended by 189 nations and hopes to draw 70 million visitors over the next six months. Why host such an event? Good PR, of course. With the theme of "Better City, Better Life," the city of Shanghai hopes to call attention to environmentally friendly changes the city has implemented and create awareness of these improvements on a global level.
Source: USAToday.com, 4/29/10