Showdown: #KittenCamp vs We Are Social
Ahead of Robin Grant’s epic showdown at #KittenCamp tomorrow evening as part of Social Media Week London, we asked VAN’s chief word sharer and love spreader, Will Cooke, to give us the lowdown on what it’s all about.
Picture the scene… two men stand on a small stage in the cellar of a London bar; one is dressed as a cat and the other as a dog. No, it’s not a pantomime or some kind of weird cabaret show, It’s #KittenCamp; an ad industry event that started in London back in 2010, and has now grown into a cult phenomenon with events run in cities around the world.
On Tuesday 24th of September, #KittenCamp will be teaming up with We Are Social to hold a special viral extravaganza in London as part of Social Media Week. To the uninitiated it may seem confusing, so we thought we’d explain exactly what all the fuss is about.
By day Chris Quigley is the Managing Director of VAN, a social video platform designed to help make and distribute shareable video; by night he becomes ‘Meme Master Meow’, donning a giant cat suit and battling a guest LOL-Puppy in a show down of the latest internet memes, while an audience of ad industry folk vote for the best content.
So what’s the idea behind it all, and why cats?
Quite simply, the kitten is the unofficial mascot of the internet and the king of memes. A meme is a cultural thing that’s re-mixed and changed by a community, be it a tune, a catch phrase, an idea, or any other unit of information; it spreads like wildfire, propagating itself and evolving on the way.
With the power of the social web continuing to grow, marketers and agencies are all trying to create the next viral hit, turning to the internet in the hopes of using the latest trending meme to help amplify their brand (think Harlem Shake, for example). When done well, companies can benefit from a huge uplift in exposure, but it’s a delicate balancing act and winning over the hearts of an internet audience isn’t always easy.
#KittenCamp is a celebration of internet culture showcasing the latest viral content in a cat Vs dog trend-to-trend fight to win the coveted Standing Cat Cup, (a 2MB virtual trophy), followed by industry speakers sharing insight and inspiration on recent campaigns and innovations. Plus a few free beers to get the creative chatter flowing.
If you’re interested in online video and viral culture, this is an event not to be missed! For more information and to book your tickets, visit the #KittenCamp website.