Facebook Connect expands the Interactive Experience

In the last few days, I've noticed an emerging trend in promotional websites - the use of Facebook Connect to expand the user experience. This is part of the emerging trend of Social Context which involves more contextual content, media and ads based off social profiles. Here are some impressive examples I have seen in the last week or so:

The Flash Forward Experience allows viewers to become a part of Mosaic (the fictional site from the TV show in which people can connect about what they saw during the "blackout"). Using information from your profile, your location, your friends, etc. the site creates your vision during the "blackout." Viewers also have the option to become members of the Facebook fan page. Overall, the site seems like a great way to actively involve its audience in the TV show.

The Prototype Experience uses Facebook Connect for the new blockbuster game by Activision: Prototype. One aspect that makes this site more interesting than the Flash Forward site is that one does not have to log into Facebook Connect in order to interact with it. Viewers have the ability to read the story, view artwork, watch non-targeted trailers and pre-order the game independently from Facebook Connect. Facebook Connect is used primarily for the "Prototype Experience" - a short teaser trailer which uses your own social information in Facebook from your profile picture, your profile information, and photos from your friends. It's definitely worth trying it out for yourself. Here's an interesting post on the development of the site.

Welcome to Fight Club pulls your info from Facebook and turns you into a different person (in other words, you get to see yourself living the movie - pretty awesome idea). As a fan of the original movie, this site automatically appealed to me. I like the idea of being directly involved in the movie. Welcome to Fight Club was created to advertise the 11/17/09 release of 10th Anniversary Edition of Fight Club on Blu-ray disc.

I want to be part of Teamgeist

It's already fairly apparent from earlier posts that I love soccer. I also openly admit I love almost all of Adidas' soccer campaigns. So, it is not exactly a shock that I instantly fell in love with the latest advergame for Adidas.

The game which also serves as a graphic novel is called: Teamgeist. (Teamgeist is the name given the ball used at the FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany.) Teamgeist invites players to partake in the story of German football team Die Manschafft's jersey. In the intro to the game, Die Manshafft is stripped of its identity. From that point forward, it is the player's goal to help the team recapture its three World Cup stars, thereby reclaiming Die Manshafft's identity. Here's the intro in German (you can watch it in English here):


In general, I'm not a huge gamer (sure, I liked the Oregon Trail and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego, but I never really moved past that) so I wasn't sure if I would find Teamgeist engaging or easy to navigate. It manages to be both without being so simple that someone who is a gamer would become easily bored. The graphics and videos are stunning and the story is compelling.

The site also features an interactive graphic novel with an augmented reality component. In addition, the campaign includes a blog with all the making of the videos as well as a twitter account.

This new Adidas campaign was created by North Kingdom and is in partnership with the German Football Federation.

Social Media and Human Rights

Here's the presentation I gave at the Unsummit in Minneapolis this October. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Social Media and Human Rights

View more documents from judyabel.

And here's the video from the presentation in case you are interested in learning more about the New Tactics in Human Rights program.

Remembering 9/11/01 from eight years out

As I was driving into work today, I saw some people holding a sign, "Remember 9/11." While the thought is never far from the surface on September 11, I started to think about where I was and what the day had meant.

Looking back at the last eight years, I find it amazing how much the events on September 11, 2001 changed my life in fundamental ways. At the time, I had virtually no interest or knowledge about international relations. Even though I was living in Boston at the time, I barely knew New York. I had never been to Washington, DC. I didn't directly know anyone who worked in the World Trade Center or in the Pentagon.

When the first plane hit the World Trade Center, I was in an art history class learning about the Taliban (at the time I thought they just sounded like a bunch of sexist creeps - Okay, I got that one right, but didn't know the history behind them) blowing up the Colossal Buddhas of Bamyan. Walking back to my apartment from class, I had no idea that something horrific was happening. Around 9:30 that morning I checked my email. My inbox had a ton of forwards about planes and the World Trade Center. Since chain letters were popular at the time, I thought it was a sick joke or a virus and deleted all of them. Then I got the same email from my mother (she never really forwards anything so I realized at this point I should probably read it). I was floored. My first thought (and one to this day that still embarrasses me) was that the planes taking off from Logan airport hit the World Trade Center in Boston. It is right by the airport so maybe the plane (at this point there was only one) had a mechanical problem and hit the building. I had no idea.

As the day continued, everything became clear. As everyone is now aware, two planes hit the World Trade Center in Manhattan. It collapsed. There is tons of horrific footage of people running away in terror. A third plane crashed into the Pentagon - something was still evident that years later when I lived three blocks from the Pentagon in Pentagon City. A fourth plane crashed into a field near Shanksville in rural Pennsylvania, after some of its passengers and flight crew attempted to retake control of the plane, which the hijackers had redirected toward Washington, DC.

No one I personally knew died in September 11. However, it had a profound impact on my life. I started to see cultural misunderstandings and prejudices that I had not previously seen. Muslim students, including my best friend, were harassed on campus. One student even had his room broken into and his wall spray painted with anti-Muslim graffiti. This became an emerging trend throughout America and the western world.

I started to see a shift in my career possibilities and interests. Before September 11, I was planning to move to New York and work in the advertising field. With the fall out of 9/11, those opportunities evaporated. My future became uncertain. We went to war with Afghanistan because the Taliban had sheltered Osama bin Laden and allowed al-Qaeda training camps in their country (we still conveniently ignore these camps in Pakistan since they are a U.S. ally). I realized I needed to have a better understanding of international relations. I felt that since I was having a hard time with the direction the United States was moving it was important to expand my knowledge base and perhaps, even contribute to changing this course. This lead to my decision to move to Washington, DC in 2003 and attend American University's School of International Service. I got a master's degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution with a mixed focus of human rights and intercultural communications.

Ironically, my master's degree led me back into the communications field. I love international relations and human rights work, but I feel that the work and messages are often lost. I feel that the working as a communications professional I can help reshape perspectives and shift paradigms in a positive way that allows these messages to be heard.

So, September 11, while a horrific day, changed my path and opened my mind to new possibilities and world views.

Homesick for DC

Lately, I've been feeling a little homesick for DC. I think a good part of that is coming from my friends (thanks, Jon!) sending me awesome videos like this one:



I still love Arlington!

Remy (the songwriter/rapper) has some other cool songs. He's awesome!

Even though I don't really have the time to write anything today, I wanted to share this new song/video by EELS. I absolutely love it. It was directed by Jesse Dylan, Bob Dylan's son. Anyway, I've been listening to it over and over again for hours and figured others might enjoy it as well. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Doug finds a new home

Courtesy of some of my other coworkers, my friend and cube mate, Doug Hamlin, now has a new home away from home. Welcome to the Doug Shack!