St. Patrick's Day. Ireland's gift to the English? Wayne Rooney.

Ah St. Patrick's Day....the celebration of all things Irish where we make a complete show of ourselves.

But there's one thing we do well - laugh at ourselves. No better man that Dara above to do that.

Now, where's my leprechaun hat.

Enjoy yourself.

The Underground Library. Turning the NYC Subway into a Library for all.

I'm big into books.

And what I like about digital books and ebooks is that they've actually brought in more readers. Like Itunes have delivered more music sales.

And at the time, you'll remember that it was thought that ebooks would kill reading and itunes would kill music, when exactly the opposite has happened. The web has been the saviour of the music business as it turns out.

Ebooks have also allowed virtual libraries where you "rent" a book (exactly as you do in a traditional library) and then after a time, it's deleted from your device. 

So the idea of students to make the New York Subway into a virtual library, is a cool one. After all, it's exactly the time when people want to read in transit. Through Ads in the trains, which look like bookshelves, they list a series of book titles, "best sellers". When a user scans the title with their smartphone.....

.....they get the first 10 pages for free as a sample. just enough to read on that commute.

Then they're reminded that the rest of the book is available for free, at the New York Public Library complete with GPS map as to how to get there.

Lovely, lovely idea, called 'The Underground Library'.
Still in concept phase, it deserves to be heard. And read. 

Amazing Cinema Advertising and Experience. Disruptive marketing for homelessness.

Smashing piece of work in Cinemas in Germany.

Simple idea - all the best ones are - which got cinema goers to experience for a moment, what it's like to be homeless.

Cinema goers sat in a cinema, were given an old blanket and the air conditioning was turned down, getting colder and colder. As it was, they watched a promo Ad/documentary by homeless people, about what it's like to feel cold. Even colder than the shivering audience.

It's disruptive, guerrilla advertising and of course, they were asked at the end to make a donation including by text and QR code. Which they did. So would you.

Experiential marketing call it, but effective advertising it is. Not only in creating funds on the night but by bringing home to people an experience that they wouldn't normally.

Watch the video and think how easy it was.
Big ideas don't have to cost big money.