;)
This was a “proof of concept” project centered on the idea of viral marketing. We wanted to do something that would capture attention in light of the historic election of Barack Obama, but do so in a way that got people thinking.
The site design was simple: the question “Would you still do whatever you’re doing if Barack Obama was watching?” sat centered on the page, followed by “yes” and “no” options. Clicking “yes” sent you to a page that said “Carry On,” while clicking “no” sent you to a page that said “Reconsider.” The answers were designed to play off of the reader’s preconceptions and encourage engagement and interpretation.
The site went public with one blog post, one post on Twitter, and selective personal outreach. From there, it generated word-of-mouth on Twitter, StumbleUpon, Reddit, and other social networks, and eventually got linked by the eminent blog Politico. At its peak, the site generated upwards of 5,000 hits per day. When I shut it down recently, it was still generating 1,000 hits a day on a regular basis.
As hoped, people’s reactions came in all shapes and sizes. Some got it, others projected their own ideas about what kind of political position it was meant to endorse. Many hated it, many loved it. It taught us a lot.
