The year 2010 brought us some fantastic moments in the social media universe. Like…really, epic-level fantastic.
I’m not talking about a developer discovering a new way to code something. I’m talking about the front-end, user-engagement area of the industry.
I’ve decided to honor 2010 by presenting (in some particular order), 10 Great 2010 Social Media Moments!
9 – Shit My Dad Says
From a hilarious Twitter feed to a disappointingly unfunny CBS TV series, you would think this “brand” took a giant spill this year. But you’d be quite wrong.
One small step for the brand, one giant leap for Social Media!
Think about it. There was a Twitter feed that was so funny that a broadcast TV network green-lit (that’s insider lingo for “approved”) a prime-time comedy based on it! Seriously, that is a tremendous accomplishment for the online world.
And, hey, millions of people seem to like it, or at least forget to change the channel when it comes on after “The Big Bang Theory.” Good on ya.
8 – The Bed Intruder
Only in a Social Media Universe can an attempted rape become transformed into an auto-tuned music sensation (available on iTunes, of course!)
7 – Dead Cats and Horrible Marketing
A Chipotle employee apparently ran over a cat, killing it dead. DEAD!!!!!
Normally, that wouldn’t make much of an impact on our lives, would it?
But in 2010, this became a wild online phenomenon, involving a major corporation and a cover-up that would make Richard Nixon blush.
John Eick explains the sordid, amazing details at So Good Blog.
6 – Future Day FAIL!
Of all the great 1980s movies, Back to the Future ranks ridiculously high on the list. And even better, in my opinion, was the sequel, Back to the Future II!
In the second installment, Marty McFly and Doc Brown travel from the present day of 1985 into the far-off future of 2015, complete with hoverboards, auto-sizing jackets and an almanac of every sporting game ever!
British website TotalFilm sent out a Tweet in early July claiming that July 6, 2010 was the day featured in the futuristic movie, and even coined the #FutureDay hashtag.
Countless people Tweeted and ReTweeted about how awesome it was to compare what they saw around them with what was predicted in the movie.
Of course, it was five years off.
Ooops.
5 – Betty White on SNL
Somewhere along the way, Betty White has become the coolest woman in America.
It was somewhere between the original airings of Golden Girls and the time Lifetime started showing the reruns.
Well into her late-80s, she has become even more beloved than ever before and a Snickers commercial during the Super Bowl begat a Facebook campaign aimed to convince NBC to let her host Saturday Night Live.
She rode a wave of popular support and within a few months, was saying “we’ve got a great show…stick around, we’ll be right back!”
So how did she do?
Well, if this doesn’t make you laugh, you may be considered dead in 47 states.
4 – Sue Sylvester Gets Vogue!
Hit TV shows don’t NEED social media to survive.
Sure, LOST became an iconic piece of pop culture, in no small part to online communities and recaps and discussions. Sports events enjoy the real-time conversation and stored clips that social media can provide, too.
But glee took full advantage of the buzz social media can provide when they previewed Sue Sylvester’s Fauxdonna performance of “Vogue” before the Madonna tribute episode aired. The conversations went from living room to laptop, as people searched for the video and turned the upcoming episode into a mega hit.
Unfortunately, FOX has removed the video from just about everywhere legal, so I can’t post it here.
But after seeing a 15 second clip, millions of people went searching for the full version.
Big win.
3 – “The Social Network” 
Earlier in our list, we discussed a prime time TV show stemming from Social Media.
But 2010 also gave us a major Hollywood feature film from the industry: “The Social Network.”
The movie tells the Facebook origin story. Now, I’m sure there were some facts and events that may have been presented with a traditional Hollywood twist.
But, in all honesty, the fact that people came to learn more about the network’s roots is incredible. Worldwide, the film has grossed nearly $190 million, turning a tremendous profit on it’s $50 million budget.
It wasn’t the greatest movie I’ve ever seen, but it shows once again how important Social Media became in our lives this year.
2 – The GAP Logo Debacle
One of the hidden talents of social media is the communal panic attack for nothing all that big.
Exhibit A: A clothing retailer changes their logo and Twitter explodes, bloggers go apeshit and relative sanity flies completely out the window.
The volume of disdain was so loud, the company restored the original logo (with a few subtle cosmetic changes), as I discussed here.
So was this a case study in crowdsourcing? Was it a rouse from the start?
Honestly, I don’t really care. It’s a logo featured on the tag of shirts. Big whoop.
But Social Media was the winner here – the people made their voice heard and made a difference in this company’s business decisions.
1 – Smell Like A Man!
This TV commercial started it all:
What followed will go down in history as the most memorable social media campaign of 2010.
Old Spice had the star of the commercials spend two days responding to Tweets, e-mails and blog posts with VIDEOS! Yes, a customized video response to your question.
He made videos for celebrities, average folks – and even a guy trying to propose to his girlfriend!
Here is an excerpt from my July 13 post on why this campaign was so awesome:
1) Character: The star is Isaiah Mustafa, who is also the pitchman in the current TV campaign Old Spice is running. Having him record these spots shows that this initiative is important to the company.
2) Instant: Each video has the same talent, costume (as it were) and set, with limited props. They are all also less than :60 each, so incredibly quick to film and turnaround. Shot with a single camera and no special effects, the only reason they would need multiple takes is if Mustafa busts out laughing on set, which I’m sure happened more than a few times. With the quick production time, the video can be relevant and timely.
3) Funny: The writing is incredible. Pitch-perfect for the character…full of wit, double entendres, and complete over-the-top arrogance.
4) Viral: Every video is housed on YouTube and can be instantly shared across multiple platforms. Users can embed it in blogs (see above!), so the YouTube video gets the views while people share it around the world. And because they have the TV star in a short, funny manner, people WANT to share it!
Those are 9 Social Media Moments from 2010 – what others left an impression on you?
(Mar…
