Ben Ayers's Blog
Plane stupid? Heathrow tee man web famous
When Brad Jakoby was asked to remove a T-shirt depicting a Transformers cartoon character before boarding a flight at Heathrow's Terminal 5 he thought it was a joke.
Brad, from Bayswater, central London, said he had to change before boarding as security officers objected to the gun, held by the cartoon character.He wrote about the incident on his blog, which some might say is fittingly called The Edge of Madness and it was picked up by the mainstream media.
Go through security, get pulled to the side. I'm wearing a French Connection Transformers t-shirt. Bloke starts joking with me is that Megatron. More...
Interview: Perez Hilton
He's the most controversial blogger in the world and reportedly makes millions but Mario Lavandeira, the flamboyant gossip columnist behind PerezHilton.com, admits: "I always want more."
As his popularity continues to soar (his site is number 20 in a list of the 100 most linked to blogs) and his ambitions take him further into the world of TV, radio and film, the prolific blogger has hired his younger sister Barbara as his assistant and his mum Teresita is reportedly moving from Miami to help him out. He's also considering hiring writers for his famous site so that he can make the most of his burgeoning fame. More...
Weezer: Pork, beans and Web stars
Weezer persuaded some of the biggest stars of the web to take part in the video for their latest single Pork and Beans. The video coincides with the launch of a new Weezer channel on YouTube. Web celebs including Tay Zonday (Chocolate Rain), Lauren Caitlin Upton (Miss South Carolina), Judson Laipply (Evolution of Dance), Chris Cocker (Leave Britney Alone), and Numa Numa guy feature in the vid, as well as Diet Coke & Mentos, hamster, GI Joe parody, Soulja Boy, Kevin Federline, Daft Hands and Peanut Butter Jelly.
The You Tube channel features additional B-roll material, band introductions, shoot footage and archived videos. More...
Interview: Tom Dickson
No longer is fame reserved for stars of TV. These days, thanks to the internet, anyone can become famous - and the marketing effect on brands can be extraordinary. Below is an interview I conducted with one of the new stars of the Internet, Tom Dickson. Tom utters the catchphrase "Will it blend?" before putting all manner of objects from an iphone to a garden rake into his blenders to demonstrate their effectiveness. His videos have been a huge hit on YouTube.
WF: When did you first realise you were ‘Web Famous'?
"Probably June of 2007 at the Internet Retailer Magazine convention in San Jose, California. More...
This blog is moving...
Have Five been bought by Tesco?
A little idea that could make a big difference
Like most of my internet embracing, social media loving marketing and communications colleagues I am always trying to dream up new ways to make use of the internet as a communications channel.
My public relations background started at Comic Relief, a brilliant charity that uses humour, or at least the excuse to be a bit silly, to leverage immense good will and raise valuable funds for projects in the UK and Africa.
It occured to me this afternoon that for many in this massively competitive sector, a strong marketing and comms strategy can be the difference between a great campaign and one that fails to generate more than a few cursory ripples. More...
Reading Evening Post set for cult status?
I promise this is the last one.
