It's as quiet as a morgue get-away Friday before a long holiday weekend.
Are any of us really "mentally" all there? Most of us aren't physically here--at work.
But your Online Minute
scribe is. We're here for those of you who haven't quite taken off yet, or will get to the Minute a little later, or once you return from the weekend.
Trolling around the Web today I found
something interesting on Yahoo!'s home page. The online network is looking for real people to enter a contest to star in a new Yahoo! Personals campaign. After clicking on the link advertised on the
home page, I was brought to a page promoting the entry process. "You can be the new face of Yahoo! Personals," the copy read. The contest mirrors the concept of Yahoo!'s "Life Engine" brand
positioning by promoting the idea that using Yahoo! services, like Personals, helps improve your quality of life. Well, I don't know about that, but anything's worth a try.
The "Life Engine"
campaign, which debuted in the spring, used some minor celebs like former California governor Gray Davis, paired with regular folks who use Yahoo! services to indulge in their hobbies and passions, as
well as other pursuits like job-hunting.
The "Real People" contest invites people to enter online. "You don't have to be a super model. We want to see Yahoo! Personals users from all walks of
life," the copy reads. Entrants must have a Yahoo! Personals profile with at least one photo. People stumbling onto the home page who don't already have a profile are invited to create one. The
deadline is July 25 at midnight Pacific time.
Gee, I wonder how the winners will be selected? Yahoo!'s marketing organization probably has a few ideas on that one. Winners fly to San Francisco
for a photo shoot and several days of activities and social mixers.
Yahoo! conducted the same campaign for its Personals service last year. This year's "rp2005" (Real People 2005) contest page
offers links for visitors to check out a scrapbook from the 2004 campaign. It offers some pretty cool photos and text, and a behind-the-scenes look at the photo shoot. There is also a Frequently Asked
Questions section for curious prospective entrants.
Bon Voyage, and have a great July 4 holiday!