Viral marketing news and other viral happenings in the Denver Metro and Boulder area.

Dr. David Benke is a Hero – Sadly, Colorado was in world news again for all the wrong reasons. “Deer Creek shooting” and related phrases were hot in search engines this week, as word spread about our most recent school shooting. Fortunately, the actions of Dr. David Benke prevented further tragedy, for which he was recognized on the Facebook fan page  Dr. David Benke is a hero!!! More than just honoring Benke, the page has provided people with a place to share their hopes and fears after the shooting. And Benke has since expressed that he does not consider himself a hero, just someone who did what he had to do. Both are true: we are all capable of heroics if we understand the cost of inaction. Thank you, David Benke, I am a fan.

Unreasonable Institute – On the subject of social-media-for-good, the Boulder-based Unreasonable Institute has a different take on the increasingly popular sport of startup incubation. They are looking for applicants to become “Unreasonable Fellows” and participate in a 10 week program focused on incubating businesses and initiatives that are looking to change the world through social media. In their own words:

We envision a world transformed by social entrepreneurship – a world where tomorrow’s leaders develop sustainable and systemic solutions to issues of global magnitude.

As the Facebook-Benke story demonstrates, social media does connect people for good, and a more connected world is a better world overall. I don’t think that is an unreasonable assumption.

On a less serious note, the next three stories demonstrate the power of sex to get a message across, particularly when it doesn’t involve humans.

Puppet Boobs – A billboard company in Colorado Springs did touring Broadway musical Avenue Q a giant favor by banning their advertising, which features (shudder) puppet cleavage. Not surprisingly, this had people all over the web talking about Colorado Springs, puppet boobs, and of course Avenue Q. Note to marketers: design a ridiculous ad campaign that would only be considered risque in the Springs, and you’ve got yourself viral media.

Skiing for Swingers – In a blatant effort to sell to the id, Copper Mountain is giving skiers the opportunity to “ride something new” with a “Swinger’s Pass”. The pass costs $39 to anyone who presents a valid pass for another ski area. The campaign was designed by offbeat agency Wexley School for Girls and includes provocative Craigslist ads. I wonder if Colorado Springs is going to try and ban Craigslist?

(this is one pun I’m not going to touch) – A bit north of Colorado Springs, researchers at the University of Colorado have been working hard to understand what all the fuss is about sex. Specifically, they are reporting that barn swallows tend to get it on more often when they maintain a diet rich in antioxidants. Are any of us surprised that Boulder scientists think we should swap out our pheromone-saturated perfumes for vitamin supplements? In any case, avian biology has never received so much attention.

Haiku Olympics – With all the sports, sex and tragedy this week, few noticed that Colorado was home to our own global competition: the Haiku Olympics. Now I am a fan of poetry, and one of my favorite people is a poet, but this has to be the least interesting YouTube video I’ve seen in a while. Nonetheless, it did inspire me to try my hand at this simple, but deceptively challenging form:

Haiku Olympics
No Vonn No White No Spillane
So Very Boring

This week’s theme song is Hot & Cold, by Los Colorados. No actual connection to Colorado, but holy crap that dude is like the Tommy Bolin of the accordion!

This is a weekly update, please comment if there are topics or items I have missed.

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