Paper by Facebook

Facebook is going to introduce a new app: Paper.
An app in which you can organise your stories. The once you get from friends or official news outlets, but you can also put your own stories in it and share those.

In this short video they explain how it works
And the explain the wonderful world of storytelling. From the various shapes and sizes stories come in, like text, letters or pictures. To the importance of sharing.

The launch is February 3rd. First only in the US.
So US-friends could you please share your story about Paper with me?

How one little stories turns into something big

A couple of weeks back I posted about how where you live tells a story about you.

In this post I told you also about my amazing neighbourhood with the fun streetname signs after the characters of Tolkiens books.

Those pictures I took for a school assignment, showing what is so amazing about the place you live in.
When I posted those on Facebook one of my Brazilian friends from the Brazilian Tolkien Society read it and thought it much fun. They asked me a couple of questions over Facebook and posted a story on the internet with my story of my neighbourhood and my pictures.

Beginning of January a Google map images of my neighbourhood turned up on 9GAG. "An entire neighborhood named after Tolkien's characters in the Netherlands."

And yesterday The Huffington Post picked up the story: "Every street in this Dutch neighborhood has a Lord of the Rings name, which is awesome."

Which today got the attention of the local newspaper and even nationwide Dutch news.

Can I claim all this attention happened because of my pictures and the story of my neighbourhood? No, I can't. But it is a very big coincidence it is all happening now, just after those pictures.

Just showing, how one small story, can turn into something really big.... (me creating world news?!?).

Creating memories

Memories are a very powerful story. Something happened to you and it was so profound, it stuck with you for a very long time.

If a company can make it happen something so amazing happens to you, you want to tell it to all your friends and you will tell it for a very long time. That is a very powerful marketingtool and a very powerful story.

Visiting a Disney park is of course already a big event for children. Having fun the entire day. Getting to meet your favourite cartoon characters.
When you are allowed to walk around the entire day in your favourite prince or princess costume. That will make it even more special.
But if then, somebody who is clearly from the park, comes to you to ask for an autograph, because he believes you are really a princess. Wow, that makes an impact. 

Making a story you will tell for a very long time!

Busy, busy, busy

Yes, the story of my life at the moment.

It is all fun to do, organising a VR Symposium.
But working a fulltime job, trying to manage a study (luckily that one is quiet for two weeks), it is a wee bit busy. Besides that all I somehow also seem to have a social life. Hello friends, I'm still alive, although you haven't heard from me in a while.

And keeping a blog. Oops. Somehow managed to not write something yesterday and lacking a story to tell for today.

But, welcome to the story of my life. Yes, I'm busy.
Hopefully after next week Thursday I'll be able to breath again.

Until then, when inspiration flows, you will get a new story from me (or it will be a little quiet over here).

Nespresso; from George to Ethiopia

We all have seen the commercials from Nespresso with George Clooney enjoying one of the coffees from them in a fancy coffeeshop. Telling the brand's story about luxury, indulgence and exclusivity

Yesterday Nespresso introduced their new campaign. Shifting the focus from the luxury of coffee to the origin of their coffee. The first coffee is Bukeela ka Ethiopia. Using the words of Maureen Baas, marketing director of Nespresso Europe. "People are used to the images of George and the luxury espresso bars. But we thought it time to show Nespresso has more stories to tell. We know so much about coffee and have such wonderful stories to tell about the place of origin of the coffee. But we never told those stories." 

The images sure look very beautiful. Take a look at the new story of Nespresso.

Storytelling with sand

Words, images, signs, I have seen a lot of ways to tell stories.

But using sand. Yes it is possible.

Watch the next video. It tells the history of the Ukrain with sand!

Recycled orchestra

Not a story in music, but music in a story. A story worth retelling.

These children make the most beautiful music on instruments made out of garbage.

Take a look and a listen!