Please Press My Button

I think it is about time that the internet got an equivalent of the -1/dislike button.
A button for those with an interest in functionality and user design that says a site is bad.
I call it:

The 'This Site is a Piece of shit' Button

Offenders I have seen this week:

• Facebook apps that force you to like them and then don't work.
• Web pages that link you to someone elses link, which takes you to someone elses link, which might (if you are lucky) take you to the place you actually want to go.
• Pop unders? In 2011??
• Brand sites that make you register before you can engage with them
• "I just spent 5 minutes getting my QR reader to work for this?!"
• Mobile sites that are big enough to strain a home Wi-Fi connection
• This video is not available in your country (even though the content is)
• The Ben Terrett Award for bad typography
• (From Nick) "Let me just resize your browser window for you, as our site is so awesome it has to take up your whole screen!"
• (From Nick) "How about some fancy music? No? Well, I'll play it anyway, and hide the 'mute' button in the top right hand corner for you."
• (From Miss Heather) An intro page. Still? Really?! Do you not see why this is such a bad thing?

Any more?

Facebook Causes Brand Strategy Disaster

--*Warning - This post may contain sarcasm*--

Earlier this week one of my colleagues commited a heinous crime of branding, but one (sadly)encouraged by the very brand they were trying to help.

By trying to show their support for the product in question, they accidently blew a vortex of confusion through a decade long multi million pound campaign. I don't think they meant any harm, but the ramications of their actions could be felt for decades to come.

It's such a terrible turn of events that I feel i shouldn't even really tell you. But in the interests of marketing I must...

*sigh*

Ok.

She 'Liked' Marmite.

She 'Liked' Marmite...

You can't LIKE Marmite, heavens to Betsy. No-one LIKES Marmite, we either love it or hate it. That's what the ad says, that what the strategy says, that what people actually did even before the strategy came to light.

It all worked dammit, and now with these attempts at bringing FMCG products into the social space; they have destroyed 10 years worth of creative branding and recognition. Following her move, over 500,000 people have Liked it too... half a million people slowly destroying one of the great strategic and creative pieces of our time. The horror.

It's such a terrible terrible waste. I can't stand seeing campaigns suffer in this way, it just isn't fair. We shouldn't have to put up with such contradictions and puzzles.

Someone will be telling me Carlsberg make shit beer next...

Image from http://icanhascheezburger.com/, but you already knew that.

A little help!

Hi folks,

If you get a moment, I would be very grateful if you could help me win a Hotmail competition by clicking the link below and voting for my idea (by clicking Like).

Hotmail Comp - The Sortinator

Thanks!!

Rob