I love my job. And some days, I love my job even more than other days. Today is one of those days.
What is it I'm doing? I'm writing about love. Well, kinda. I'm writing about Valentine's Day, and even more to the point, I'm writing about Sweethearts.
Necco Sweethearts. In virtual form.
I have been a very, very, very small part of the team that built the app and web site that enables users to send virtual NECCO sweethearts to others via Twitter, and I should point out, as well as via email.
As the so-called "Social Media Guru" at Genuine (I prefer "Social Media Enabler" because that's really what it's all about), I had the fun task of pondering various Twitter-ish aspects of the project and then seeing our talented team bring it to life.
But I became obsessed. I couldn't stop thinking about it. I wanted to find ways to mine the data. As of this writing we have thousands of Sweetheart boxes created, and I read them all.
As we prepare for our final descent into Valentine's Day (sorry, I'm writing on a plane) I thought it would be fun to share some various approaches people took in creating different types of Sweetheart boxes. Some were funny. Some tried to be funny, but failed. Some reflected frustration, bitterness, or profound sadness. Many were amazingly sweet, if rather cliché and corny. And a few made me stop in my tracks and read them multiple times to make sure I understood what they were trying to say in less than 20 characters.
With Twitter, some people are still getting their heads around how anyone could say anything of note in 140 characters. If tweeting can be likened to a traditional workout, then what some of the creators of Sweetheart boxes achieved was like training in the thinner air of the mountains.
Some, like emilazy's were decidedly anti-Valentine's Day, and others like kateybella and Puregirlblue, were giving would-be admirers a Valentine's Day stiff-arm.
Some used virtual Sweethearts boxes to express their fandom. Fallout Boy (illbecavalier), the sport of tennis (ToxicTourniquet) and the New Kids on The Block (DWSluttyLoVR and catnappen) all received some virtual NECCO love. Meantime, others (VGcom) used the service to promote an upcoming Vince Gill album.
Another reason I love being here is that the feeling is mutual. Our founder and creative director, Chris "BALD IS BOOTYFUL" Pape demonstrated that with his own Sweethearts box.
A fan of the show 30 Rock (brigidmarie) chimed in with "LETS NOT LEMON THIS." I read this one while 30 Rock was actually playing on my flight. Eerie.
Some, like those of kerbygoff and theriotisover, took more of a political/activist stance.
And some just made me do a doubletake. Katryna_is_me (YOU ARE MY VICODIN :D) and lisalarosa (LOVE IS: SPONGY) made me think, but those were nothing compared to the nickname (MCMUFFIN PANTS) I learned from unbereft.
Have a happy, goofy, funny Valentine's Day, both in the real and virtual worlds. But whatever you do, don't Lemon it!
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