The first flash mob in Oman - behind the scenes

During the last Comex exhibition we have seen the first flash mob in Oman.
It was nearly perfect, if you have not seen it yet watch it here.

So how do you make a flash mob? It is not an easy job as usually they happen in public place and therefore you have not control of all elements. Lots of practicing and planning is involved. Here are a few points to remember when doing a flash mob.

1. Do some research and watch some flash mobs done in the past. There are lots of YouTube and just by watching them you’ll learn a lot.
2. A flash mob success depends on the originality, liveliness and attractiveness of the event. If you ‘steal’ an idea elsewhere make sure you adapt it perfectly to your event. Also, don't forget the surprise element which is key for the final success.
3. Have a leader; this person should be a professional dancer/singer/artist. Then you will need several other performers who don’t need to be professionals but they will all follow the leader. Once you have all team members make them practice, practice and practice.
4. Choose a song that is very popular and ideally means something to people.
5. Some flash mobs need performers to wear costumes, so make sure you get them in time.
6. Know the location inside out. Ideally you should be able to perform on the location where the flash mob will take place but in most cases it is not possible. The location is important also for the video-crew as all cameras should be hidden in strategic places. Lastly, not all public places will allow you to organise such events so always double check on that.
7. High quality video. The better the video the more exposure you might get. Let’s not forget that a video will help the event go viral and if you can get in touch with influential bloggers, tweeps and all your friends on Facebook they will help you sharing the message.
8. The event should end with a big ‘bang’ usually revealing something unexpected.
9. Once the event is done just leave as nothing had ever happened.

So here I’m posting the Oman flash mob behind the scenes video. A lot can be learnt from here as so many people and elements are involved.

And well done to all those involved once again!

The coolest logos ever

According to Wikipedia a logo is a "graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition. Logos are either purely graphic (symbols/icons) or are composed of the name of the organization."

Designing a good logo is not a simple task and requires a lot of time and creativity in formulating a concept, doing initial sketch, finalizing the logo concept, deciding the theme colors and format, etc. 

To me logos need to be eye-catchy and smartly designed, just as these ones which all have a hidden meaning:

The yellow arrow is a smiley but also suggests that you can buy everything A to Z on Amazon.

Baskin Robbins offers 31 different flavours of ice cream and the number 31 is hidden in the logo.

The FedEx logo has an arrow hidden between the letters E and X. Very smart considering the industry they're in.

Toblerone chocolate company comes from Bern, Switzerland, which is called "The City of bears". If you look carefully you'll find the hidden silhouette of a bear in the mountain.

Eight is the name of this company and the entire logo is created with only one number; the number 8. Very cool.

The feathers of the peacock represent the 6 different divisions of NBC. The head is visible suggesting the peacock is looking toward the viewer.

Unilever produces thousands of different products; the letter U is made up of symbols representing some of the products and what they mean to their consumers.

Looks like a map of Africa but if you take a closer look you will see a woman and a child facing each other.

Smart play with positive and negative spaces by the Bronx Zoo.

Last one...I'm sure you can guess this logo :)

(Probably) The best viral video ever! (2)

Sometime ago I posted about the best viral video ever from Tipp-ex, remember it?

That video was very successful with more than 20 million views on YouTube.

Very rarely in the past brands managed to repeat a viral success but Tipp-ex managed to do it for the 2012 birthday when the world is supposed to come to an end as it is about to get a hit by a huge meteorite, see in the pic below...

Have a look at the video and then enter any date to try and stop the meteorite. There is a total of 46 videos, I watched a few, some of them are hilarious. Enjoy!

The first Facebook commerce store in Oman

TOTEM, my favorite boutique in the whole world, recently launched its new online shop which I believe to be the first of its kind in Oman.

I’m sure many ‘fashionistas’ out there will be more than happy to shop in a secure way while they’re comfortably sitting on their couch.

TOTEM did not stop there though, and that is what i'd like to highlight; as today’s consumers spend lots of time on Facebook, TOTEM also launched the first Facebook commerce store in Oman. It makes complete sense since TOTEM has a good fan base on FB.

The application recreates a fully functional store within Facebook
maintaining the professional appearance and all its features.

I had to give it a go; I clicked on the ‘buy online’ tab and downloaded the shop application. I then browsed through several items, selected a t-shirt and provided my credit card details. A few minutes later I received the transaction confirmation...

…and the shipping confirmation from DHL.

Within 24 hours I received my banana-girl t-shirt...

I’ve always been skeptical about buying online from Facebook but my overall shopping experience within TOTEM’s Facebook store was top-notch! Neat, fast and professional.

TOTEM has made perfect use of social technology in the context of commerce. Hats off!

Beat the heat! Refresh Your Ideas

What’s better than a refreshing shower to beat the hot weather?

The latest initiative by Sprite Brazil, part of the long-running "Refresh Your Ideas" campaign, is a brilliantly thought and executed ambient marketing campaign which took place on a beach in Rio de Janeiro.

People love it!

TEDxMuscat 2012 - Passion for Creation.

TEDxMuscat is back. The 1012 edition will take place again at the Millennium Resort Mussanah on May 16 and it promises to be bigger and better.

Last year, the first ever TEDxMuscat, was a great success and exceeded all expectations. Leaders, innovators, artists and entertainers from several parts of the world came together to share their ideas and visions. Below a few pics...

This year the theme is 'Passion for Creation' and there will be again a great mix of impressive keynote speakers both from Oman and the rest of the world. I will do a separate post on them next week once they’ll be officially announced.

In order to expand its reach, and for more like-minded people to benefit, TEDxMuscat during the event will also offer a simulcast with several colleges; MECIT College, Modern College, Majan College, Muscat College, Waljat  College, Caledonian College, and Sultan Qaboos University.

You can find more info, as well as how to register, here. Remember, as there are only a limited number of sits make sure you fill in all fields in the application and be very creative! Only the most original and creative applications will be selected.

You can also like/follow TEDxMuscat on Facebook and Twitter.