Skip to main content

facebook and method and me

I joined Facebook as a high school senior, shortly after I got my official college email address (remember when you had to have one of those to join the social network?) So I've been wary of the commercialization of Facebook. The idea of companies honing in on a tool I use to keep in touch with my friends is, well, sort of a bummer.

But bit by bit I'm learning how amazing Facebook really is for companies who are trying to connect with their customers. It's a direct link between the people who are making stuff and the people who are using stuff. As a designer enamored with the idea of user-centered design, I'm starting to see Facebook as this epic, ever-evolving tool that could lead to stronger social ties and better design. (Glass half-full over here!)

About a month ago, method launched an ambitious Facebook campaign. They asked people to film themselves playing with laundry (shaking it, twirling it, dumping it over your head) in front of a white wall. The end goal was to make a music video celebrating their laundry detergent. It was an open casting call for a virtual commercial.

So one day after work I gathered my more colorful clothes, positioned myself in front of a bare white wall, and hit 'record' on my webcam. It felt like participating in a (very silly and fun) experiment. How would they use these goofy videos? And would they really get enough people to participate?

Well, they just released the video this week, and it's fantastic. I'm more than impressed:


And I made it into the video—three times!

Apparently, they received 200 submissions. People love this brand. 

In the end, I think it makes for a really brilliant campaign. 
Splicing webcam videos into a professionally shot video adds umph to method's message. It's like saying, "We must be good. These people believe in us enough to send us videos of themselves dumping laundry over their heads." Add in the fact that most of the people who were included in the video are tweeting and liking and blogging about it (including me), and method may have just figured out the formula for viral marketing. It's warm and fuzzy and just SO smart.

Comments