Commentary

Crayon's Colorful Launch Party

  • by December 29, 2006

Crayon, a recently launched new marketing agency, is drawing on its knowledge of the latest Web 2.0 applications to self-promote. The new media and marketing shop staged its launch party in Second Life late last year. Created by Joseph Jaffe, the firm even has an office in the virtual world, on an island dubbed "crayonville." Nearly 60 avatars attended crayon's coming out party, including, of course, nine employees who sat around a conference table in their virtual office.

"I believe it's the first agency to launch itself in Second Life," Jaffe says. "We could have had a chichi event at the W, but we chose to walk our talk." Visitors to crayonville gain access to the shop's conference room and can sit in on discussions (unless they are confidential). In fact, crayon is also considering holding client meetings in the virtual playpen.

But exactly what does crayon do? "We're a mash-up or a shape-shifter," says Jaffe. "This is a company of people who are new marketing. ... We're podcasters, bloggers, viral video experts." The shop offers agency and advisory services, consulting, thought leadership, and education. Many times, non-paid interactive media approaches are the best way to go for marketers, Jaffe notes.

Of course, crayon is hardly alone in getting in on the Second Life hype: AKQA is using the virtual Mecca for recruiting, Bartle Bogle Hegarty is showing creative work, Leo Burnett is building an area to facilitate collaboration among far-flung creatives, and Interpublic's Magna Global USA unit started hosting presentations on the evolving media landscape and trends.

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