Moving Forward With eBay

eBAY MOTORS "GALLERY MOVING FORWARD:" The first of Periscope's eBay micro sites for Toyota went live this month, a gallery of new models and concept cars. The "Gallery Moving Forward" includes the new Euro-styled Yaris, and Toyota's Camry Hybrid. Terrific design work by our own Gordon Lee, writing by Brad Gilmore, Tom Flint creative direction, Adam Knutson programming, and produced by Matt Hattenberger. eBay Motors is the number one automotive site in the world, with more than 6 million unique visitors a month--shows you what everyone is doing on their lunch hour in front of the computer, eh?

Gallery Moving Forward

A second showcase, for Toyota's pick-up trucks, will be online later in June. It's called "Gone ____ing," around the idea of "Gone Camping," "Gone Boating," "Gone Driving," etc. Chad Beasley, VP Creative for Jumpstart Automotive wrote about the sites in this month's car section of iMedia: Beasley Article. You can see the "Gallery Moving Forward" here: Gallery Moving Forward

iMEDIA "ABC INTEGRATES LOST TO WIN" Great case study about ABC's hit show "Lost," showing how the television show itself is actually the centerpiece of a much larger media network of websites, mobile content, podcasts, and a lot of connecting messaging in between. The point is the stuff outside of the television show isn't *advertising* for the show, it's more content from the show. So the show isn't just the show, it's a whole lot more: Lost Case Study

HBO "ARI INTERVIEW" "Entourage" is one of HBO's most successful series, following the exploits of a young Hollywood movie star and his entourage of hangers-on. Jeremy Previn plays the deliciously amoral Ari Gold, the young star's power-tripping agent. Imagine a younger, less hair-challenged Donald Trump. HBO.com has launched an interactive "Interview with Ari," where you get to interview for a job with the ruthless Mr. Gold. The website is like the "Subservient Chicken" on steroids. Hundreds of possible questions and answers were filmed with Previn, and you respond by typing in your responses. Trashy good fun: HBO's Ari Interview

iMEDIA "GOOGLE CLICK FRAUD AND YOU" Google has entered into a class action settlement over "click fraud." A refresher: "click fraud" is when you pay Google for search advertising, but some dirty rat competitor spends hours clicking on your ad, just to deplete your marketing budget. It's been a nasty little secret in the SEM business for a couple of years, but now Google, Yahoo and other search engines are being forced to step up with rebates to jilted customers. Here's an (angry) view of the situation, and the Google settlement, from Kevin Ryan, one of the watchdogs of the paid-search business: Google Fraud and You

TACO BELL "THE FOURTH MEAL" Taco Bell has created an interactive night on the town with their website www.thefourthmeal.com. You get to create a character (an "avatar" as they're called online) and wander around mythical downtown and take in the nightlife. It's pretty limited, but a consumer marketer could really gather a crowd with this kind of "virtual world" where people can communicate by online chat. This is basically what the "Sims" (http://thesims.ea.com/index_flash.php) is, only smaller. There's a young wired audience that would enjoy wandering around a virtual world (bigger and better than this start-up by Taco Bell) and chatting with people: The Fourth Meal

Have a great week--RJ