The Big Fat Marketing Blog

Computer maker HP is ready to make everything about you famous—except your face.

In a campaign to promote its new “Artist Edition” HP notebook computer, the company’s “You on You” user-generated content contest has asked people to create Web videos expressing who they are and what they’re passionate about and upload them to HP’s YouTube channel . But in a twist that resembles HP’s broadcast commercials featuring only the hands of famous endorsers such as Fergie, Shaun White and Serena Williams, entrants can’t show themselves above the neck. more

Stride Gum, the Cadbury Adams-owned brand whose ads encourage users to chew more gum, wants to get consumers playing more video games too. And they’re putting up $25,000 as a prize.

Interestingly, that prize won’t go to the fastest killer of pixellated aliens, but to an actual privately-owned arcade. more

A new campaign from Coca-Cola’s energy brand Vitaminwater is crowdsourcing its next flavor rollout and offering a $5,000 prize for the winning package design.

Facebook members can download a shareable application that lets them vote for their choice among a handful of flavor proposals, specify the nutrient requirements they’d like in the new product, and give the new item its name, label and ad copy. more

Sears has unveiled the social media campaign that will promote its back-to-college sales this season, a package of three integrated Facebook tools grouped under the heading “Campus Ready”.

The tools, available on the Sears main Web site or on Facebook, are intended to help first-time college students and their families prepare for the experience by helping them to identify and then pay for the furniture and furnishings they’ll need for dorm life. more

American Express is taking aim at small businesses with a user-generated contest and campaign called “Shine a light,” asking participants to nominate and then vote online for a small business that’s inspiring its community with its resilience and entrepreneurial spirit.

The financial services company, which currently targets small and mid-sized businesses with its “Open” community platform and products, has teamed with NBC Universal to launch an integrated cross-platform campaign that will celebrate the ingenuity of small businesses. more

Nearly three quarters of women say they are “more active” in social media now than they were at this time last year. But brands are not necessarily reaping benefits by contacting females in these channels, according to new research from Q Interactive and the ad:tech marketing conference organization.

The consumer survey, results of which were presented to attendees at the ad:tech Chicago conference, found that about 54% of the women in the survey response group visit social networking sites at least once a day, and 75% of those women said they are more active on those networks now than they were a year ago. more