We didn’t really need another reason to love ModCloth’s eclectic collection of clothes and accessories, but they’ve given us one anyway: their “Make the Cut” Customer Collaboration Collection. This week, the San Francisco-based online retailer launched a private label comprised mostly of user-submitted designs available for purchase. 

After a call for design sketches on the ModCloth blog last November, their chief creative officer narrowed the almost 2,000 submissions down to a trim 90, then put them up for an open vote on the ModCloth Facebook page. Winners ranged from trained and amateur fashion deisgners to high school students to fashion-loving moms. The winning pieces are now available on Modcloth.com.

Too often, “crowdsourced” competitions result in a watered-down, company-altered version of what consumers really want. However, ModCloth executed a transparent, democratic campaign that carries out the company’s mission to involve customers in the production process, thus creating an engaged (and well-dressed) online shopping community. Votes have already been cast for a second collection of of user-generated designs that will launch in September, and a third, holiday-themed contest will be announced in coming months. Not happy with what’s on the racks? Start sketching!

Say you just finished a delicious meal out and were given the chance to make the bill disappear just by doing a simple chore. Would you do it? Scotch-Brite gave diners just this choice by teaming up with a local São Paulo restaurant in order to introduce their brand to younger consumers in Brazil. By offering these young diners a free meal just for washing their dishes, the brand was able to get a target demo to test out their product and, by the looks of it, have some fun as well. We’re willing to bet the dish washers didn’t keep quiet about their positive Scotch-Brite experience either, and with one simple campaign, the brand really cleaned up! (Sorry, we couldn’t resist.)

Filed Under: Ron’s on Top

Gen Ys are so excited about the new Anchorman movie that the lastest trailer doesn’t have even one second of the upcoming film but is still being shared and watched all over the internet. Enjoy!

GUESS’ original jeans kicked off a fashion legend 30 years ago—I’m not saying I was there for the debut, but any Gen Y has certainly been impacted by the legacy of GUESS’ iconic designs. For their 30th anniversary, GUESS is launching the One to Watch Global Blogger Search, an international open call for fashion-savvy content creators to become an official contributor to the GUESS Access Blog. Rather than speaking from inside the brand, GUESS is going risque just like their crop tops and asking consumers to be the voice of GUESS, giving brand ambassadors an opportunity to work their social media magic and collect the most votes. Although it has been three decades, American heritage brand GUESS hasn’t changed much—and neither has Claudia Schifffer, who starred in both the classic ads and is still smokin’ in today’s GUESS ads. The 80s are back! Did they ever leave?

Why can’t there be more things like this? We would like to put forth a trend that  includes all broadcasting to be narrated by six year olds.

Filed Under: Scoop Poop for Free Wi-Fi

Some dog owners just can’t be bothered to pick up after doggie’s doo doo—but what if something were offered in exchange…perhaps…free Wi-fi? That exchange of services if just what Mexican web portal Terra is doing in Mexico City parks to incentivize dogwalkers to put away their smartphones for a minute and deal with real…shit.  Ten parks will be equipped with special poop-weighing, Wi-Fi dispensing boxes that provide free internet access for everyone in the park based on the weight. More of a publicity and education effort than a long-term service, Terra shows that even shitty ideas can become good marketing. 

Gilt Groupe is pulling out all the stops for Mother’s Day with their contest to win a customized Judith Leiber clutch bedazzled with artwork created by the winner’s child. (I can say right now nothing I drew when I was little deserved such luxury treatment.) To enter, interested moms have to Like the Gilt Baby and Kids Facebook page and upload the artwork they’d like to see glittering on a high-end purse. Of course, this reminds me of a mom version of the swan purse Big gave Carrie (yes, I still make SITC references, sorry) but I’m sure it would make some devoted Mama’s day! 

Filed Under: Rolling Words, Snoop’s Smokeable Songbook

50 Cent and Vitamin Water? Mismatch. Dr. Dre and headphones? Makes more sense. Snoop Dogg and rolling papers? SPOT ON! 

We all know he has the expertise, now he has the (legal) product. Snoop’s Smokeable Songbook, Rolling Words, is a limited edition promotion for his Kingsize Slim Rolling Papers, which attendees of Coachella will get to sample from posters as detachable tabs. As for the book, each perforated page is a rolling paper with Snoop’s song lyrics written on them in non-toxic ink. The book is made from hemp and the spine can be used to strike a match—it’s an all in one solution courtesy of the master himself.

Props to Snoop for such a creative, and surprisingly well-designed, venture into…ahem. 

Filed Under: Make It Count

It’s no secret that we’re huge fans of gamification especially when it comes to making us more active and that’s why we were so excited when Nike’s Fuleband came out. Fuleband tracks your heart rate to give you nice little charts online about how much energy you’re using. To promote the new product, Nike hired Casey Neistat from the HBO show The Neistat Brothers to direct what Nike thought would be a commercial. But in true Gen Y form Neistat took the money and ran a little further with it, travelling the world in 10 days and making a short film about it. The video to me is perfect. What is the point of the Fuleband? To inspire people to move more and become more active. Neistat’s video does just that with only a few shots of the Fuleband in a way that shows off Ys creativity and attaches Nike to the wonderlust that resonates so much with Gen Ys. Nike, our hats are off to you!

Walmart’s latest campaign, the “Get on the Shelf” competition has in one week attracted 274,000 voters that have voted on their favorite homegoods and foodwears (a fork for hot dogs, anyone?). Today’s top trending product is FiberGourment crackers, most likely because of their really cute spot below. Round one voting ends April third if you’d like to stake your opinion on most fibrous cracker!

Filed Under: Marketing Experiences 

Though it may sound odd to market a slice of hell for a pizza chain, it makes a lot of sense given that Gen Ys are actively trying to seek out new experiences. From Facebook, to Tumblr you could even say they are experience hoarders. Hell Pizza taps into this with their below marketing promotion which features a single slice on a whole pizza that has one of the hottest chili peppers in the world on it!

thedailywhat:

Hot As Hell of the Day: The New Zealand-based pizza chain Hell Pizza, known for its provocative marketing campaigns, is targeting deathwishers with its latest promo: The Pizza Roulette.

One slice of the pie contains “the hottest chilli known to mankind” — but which one? Only one way to find out: Invite a bunch of friends over, and see which one dies.

Bonus: Gravedigging and alibi synchronizing at 3 AM makes for an excellent team-building exercise.

[reddit.]

Filed Under: Sleepiest World Record 

What is it about Mondays that just make you want to curl up and stay in that big comfy bed? Watching this video of La Quinta Inn breaking the world record for the longest human mattress dominoes with 850 human dominoes isn’t helping. Though the video can lag a little, we think the overall effect is compelling—you just want to domino straight into one of the beds and never get up. Additionally, the fact that all of the mattresses used will be heading to homeless shelters and providing a comfortable night for those in needs makes this project more than just a fun record-breaking moment.