The week kicked off with some disgruntled YouTube users when the world’s biggest video host, YouTube, went down Monday evening. But in thirty minutes, the site was back up and functioning properly, allowing users to access all of their favorite videos. And as fans are gearing up for the holidays, brands and platforms have begun tapping into their holiday behavior with seasonal ads and relevant platform updates. Read on to find out more.
Coke Zero Invites Fans to Create Custom Ugly Sweaters
With the holidays fast approaching, Coke Zero is helping fans to prepare for some holiday fun, capitalizing on the yearly phenomenon that is tacky sweaters with its Sweater Generator. With the ability to “harness the power of a thousand grandmothers,” Coke Zero invites users to make customized holiday sweaters, choosing colors and patterns they love best from an online inventory which includes fun and tacky options such as cacti and bonfires. The time-honored staples will be added to an online gallery over the next two weeks for participants to vote on their favorites. The 100 most popular sweaters will then be handcrafted and sent out to their creators come December 1st— just in time for holiday sweater parties.
Photo via Adweek
Kmart Christmas Commercial Invokes Mixed Commentary
Earlier this week, Kmart revealed its latest Christmas ad featuring six men in their Joe Boxers. The video has garnered quite a bit of attention, giving people— and brands—lots to talk about. JCPenney jumped into the conversation, tweeting at the brand, and playfully offering a 15% off coupon because they “noticed you could use some pants.” The two brands bantered back-and-forth a few more times, creating some social fun. Similar teasing was initiated on Twitter between Oreo and Xbox with the release of the new Xbox One game console from Microsoft.
Twitter Introduces Emergency Twitter Alerts to the UK & Ireland
Following their introduction to the US and Japan earlier this fall, Twitter is now bringing its emergency alerts program to the UK and Ireland. This new feature will allow 58 governmental agencies like the London Metropolitan Police, the Office of the Mayor of London and the Environment Agency to post tweets using the hashtag #alert to be sent out with an orange bell graphic, a visual add-on designed to emphasize the urgency of the message. Those who follow the account will also have the option to subscribe to receive push notifications and SMS messages from the Twitter app as well.
Pinterest Announces Place Pins to its Platform
In its fourth major Pin-type announcement— and just in time for the holidays— Pinterest releases its new Place Pins feature, allowing users to map what they pin. Users can now add maps to their boards and associate locations with their pins on this board, as well as additional details such as address and phone number if they wish to share. Users will also now be able to search for pins by location. This update is likely to attract smaller businesses— especially in the hospitality and transportation industries— to the platform since it can now serve as a local business listing, rivaling sites like Yelp.
Image via Mashable
Browse more headlines from the 360i blog:
- Toyota Launches its Biggest Teen Safety Initiative to Date
- What We Learned Listening to 100 Mom’s on Twitter for a Year
Cover photo via Coke Zero
