Sports Illustrated jinx is at it Again, Yankees Feel the Pain
The Yankees "Core Four," comprised of Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada, all donned the cover of the May 3 issue of Sports Illustrated. Rumored to come with this honor is the risk of injury, poor performance and overall bad luck. Since the issue hit newsstands, Rivera, Pettitte and Posada have all missed time due to injury. The SI Cover Jinx is all too real, so the people at Sealed Air sent a custom roll of their finest Bubble Wrap to help protect the Yankee captain, Derek Jeter from the curse.
Source: USA Today – Daily Pitch 5/7/10

Social Media Used to Market Mother's Day
Companies have launched a variety of social media promotions to make matrons feel special this Mother's Day. For example, E-trade created a free widget which allows users to send Mom a talking baby message; Teleflora will send Mom a virtual "talking" flower bouquet e-card; Emeritus Senior Living is hosting a Facebook contest where fans can win cash for answering the question “What makes Mom special?”; SpaFinder is giving away gift certificates to Twitter followers who share the special things moms has done for them.
Source: USA Today 5/6/10

Mountain Dew Harnesses Super Fans for New Flavor Launch
Mashable contributor David Spark compiled a "How To" piece this week on how brands can cultivate their super users to impact their bottom line. Multiple campaigns were highlighted, including Mountain Dew's DEWmocracy campaign that gave super users full access to developing their latest product line. A super fan was interviewed about how the process worked and how it has inspired him in his personal career.
Source: Mashable 5/4/10

Cadbury Gives Roller Coaster Riders Ice Cream Facials
Everyone knows Cadbury makes chocolate eggs, but few are aware of its ice cream line. In an effort to raise awareness of its frozen treats, Cadbury challenged guests of the Pleasure Beach Blackpool amusement park to eat a Cadbury Flake 99 ice cream on a roller coaster. Then they filmed it and posted it on YouTube – messy hilarity ensues.
Source: AdRants 5/5/10

Hostess Attempts to Inspire You With Padma Lakshmi's Squiggle
As a part of their 60th anniversary celebration, Hostess is asking consumers to create works of art featuring its signature squiggle. Five lucky winners will receive $1,000 cash and have their design featured on Hostess delivery trucks. To kick-off the contest, the baked goods brand has commissioned celebrities to create their own squiggle portraits. Sweet works of art from Padma Lakshmi, Rosie O'Donnell, Jordin Sparks and others will be sold on eBay to benefit Free Arts NYC.
Source: BrandFreak 5/6/10

The Most Shared Stories on Facebook
According to social media scientist Dan Zarrella, link headlines posted on Facebook that include sex are shared more than links surrounding any other topic. Zarrella also found that titles written at a second grade reading level are also more likely to be passed on to others.
Source: The Wall Street Journal 5/3/10

Does BP's Strategy of Non-Apology for the Oil Spill Make Sense?
On Monday, British Petroleum CEO Tony Hayward made an appearance on the TODAY Show to discuss the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. During the interview, Hayward said "It wasn't our accident, but we are absolutely responsible for the oil and committed to cleaning it up." – a statement that has created some buzz among industry professionals, including BrandFreak’s Todd Wasserman, who wrote that the remark made BP look "oily."
Source: BrandFreak 5/3/10

Sleep and Eat for Free on an American Farm if You 'WWOOF'
The World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) is offering free hotel accommodations for travelers willing to work for a half-day at an organic farm. Interested parties can check out WWOOF's Web site for a list of host farms located around the world.
Source: Jaunted 5/5/10

Study: 53 Percent of Twitter Users Never Post any Updates
According to Twitter Usage in America 2010, a recent study by Edison Research surrounding the activity of Twitter users, 53 percent of Twitter users never post updates, 49 percent follow brands and 42 percent get information about products and services though the micro-blogging site. The study also includes data on Wi-Fi internet usage and the growth of social networks.
Source: MediaBistro 5/6/10