Twitter removes background images and people get angry

As of last Monday Twitter removed the ability to include a custom wallpaper on your Twitter profile. Now all that shows is a plain white background.

The jury is still out as to the motivation behind the move, but in the meantime people definitely haven’t been shy with their opinions.

This guy has a solution, though:

Under-18s may get right to delete social media history

In a bid to protect young people from their own inability to think ahead, ministers have backed a campaign to give under-18s the right to delete embarrassing social media posts that might later harm their job prospects.

Under-18s to be able to delete social media history

A report from the iRights campaign has set out five rights that young people should have online, such as ‘the right to safety and support’, and ‘the right to make informed and conscious choices’.

Gang warfare goes social with #100Days100Nights hashtag

Supposedly created off the back of a bet between two rival L.A. gangs to see who could kill 100 people first, the controversial hashtag #100Days100Nights has sent Twitter into a frenzy in the last week or so.

Regardless of the authenticity of the hashtag’s origins, it is a clear example of the extent to which social media has become a part of everyday life and the influence it has on people and the mainstream media.

LG Mobile’s social photo contest

To promote the photo capabilities of the LG G4s, LG launched its first social photo competition, #BestShotEver.

Participants can win a trip for two to New York City, including a private helicopter ride and a brand new LG G4s each.

Apart from the few people who’ve literally posted selfies, some of the entries so far have been pretty decent.

First Direct’s ‘No, Thank YOU’ campaign

In response to its customers’ feedback, First Direct has launched a new campaign called ‘No, Thank YOU’.

First Direct selected some of the best messages of thanks sent from its customers on Twitter and created banners for the office containing the sender’s Twitter profile and the message.

First Direct then filmed the reactions from its staff to the messages and shared them on social media.

After Shock’s ‘Laughter Shock’ campaign

Medicinal tasting drink brand After Shock has asked people to submit their own comedy video to its new site, after-shock.me, as part of a competition.

Laughter Shock

Entrants upload a video of two minutes or less that gets uploaded the Laughter Shock YoutTube channel. The most-liked videos get a free bottle of Aftershock and a £50 voucher.

Here are a couple of the entries so far. I’ll let you make your own mind up…

Alfa Romeo writes ‘love letter’ to Twitter follower

Alfa Romeo has come up with an interesting concept on Twitter. It has written a poem to a disappointed customer who had his eye on a car that was subsequently sold to someone else.

You can see the original Tweet along with Alfa Romeo’s response below:

Alpha Romeo love letter

Coca Cola encourages the nation to choose rugby this summer

In a bid to get Brits to excited about egg-chasing this year, Coca Cola has created a new YouTube video featuring two Rugby World Cup winners, one from the male competition and one from the female.

The campaign is part of a wider promotional effort for the incoming Rugby World Cup in London.

Airbnb: ‘Is Mankind?’

In a campaign that supposedly ‘explores the kindness of man’, Airbnb is aiming to reverse the perception that the world is full of evil (as helpfully portrayed by mainstream news and Hollywood).

The emotional video below features a baby looking out of a window and is supposed to highlight innocence and innate kindness of youth or something, and the campaign will largely be social media-led.

Travelodge Vines

To announce the arrival of its new king size beds, Travelodge produced a number of Vine animations using the beds and bedding themselves.

The Vines were looped over 200,000 times within the first week of publication.

Here’s the UK version:

The Scotland version:

The Wales version:

Estonia selects 97 Swedes to become ‘epic tourism ambassadors’

Estonia is aiming to encourage more Swedish people to travel to the country in a new social media-led campaign.

97 Swedes, one for every year Estonia has been independent, have been asked to share unusual experiences of the country via a dedicated website and their own social media channels.

Epic Estonia

The ‘Epic Estonia’ campaign is based around research that suggests people increasingly book their holidays based on what other people say about their own experiences.

Harvey Nichols: Love freebies

My personal favourite social campaign of the month has to be this effort from Harvey Nichols.

In a bid to promote the unquestionable freeness of its new app, Harvey Nichols put together this CCTV footage of real-life shoplifters. The addition of comical cartoon faces takes it to a whole new level.