Use Twitter to express your Oscar thoughts

Mullen is encouraging folks to tweet again, this time about the upcoming Academy Awards ceremony.

A few weeks ago, the Wenham advertising agency was part of a Super Bowl experiment. The experiment? Look to harness the social-networking technology of Twitter.com to get a real-time debate going on the merits of Super Bowl ads. By using their cell phones, other portable devices, or even a PC, folks could instantly vent micro-blog critiques of ads they loved or loathed.

Encouraged by the Super Bowl response, Mullen is looking to be part of something similar with the Academy Awards. During the ceremonies, for example, viewers can weigh in on whom they regard as the worst dressed actress on the red carpet - or why it's an outrage that their candidate didn't win for Best Supporting Actor. ( At left is Kate Winslet, a star in "The Reader," in a photo taken by Melinda Sue Gordon. At right is a Reuters file photo of Heath Ledger in costume for "The Dark Knight.") Those interested in posting comments can learn more by clicking here.

From a marketing perspective, the Academy Awards and the Super Bowl are more than just fun Twitter events.

For marketers, "platforms like Twitter offer a new space in which to be creative," Mullen chief creative officer Edward Boches said in an e-mail.

He added, "Social media is a growing part of our plan for future offerings to clients."

Events such as the Academy Awards and the Super Bowl are "shared, unifying media moments that generate not only interest, but a desire to participate," Boches said.

And that makes these extravaganzas good vehicles to demonstrate social networking's marketing potential to advertising clients, not to mention a good way to tap into the zeitgeist by generating commentary about how large numbers of people perceive popular culture.

Said Boches, "Tapping into that desire to participate, not just observe, is one potential of social media."
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)