NONPROFIT CREATES MEDIATED ENVIRONMENT IN NYC STREETS

The March 25th edition of the Chronicle of Philanthropy highlights an effective use of new technologies like SMS mobile marketing and building projections to create a mediated environment. Nonprofit organization, Pathways to Housing in NYC uses video projection as an awareness and fundraising effort to effect change in the homeless population. Although many people just walk past homeless people on the streets of Manhattan, this projection installation forces citizens to see that there is a way they can get involved without directly interacting with homeless people on the street.

Pedestrians are asked to make a small donation via their cell phone that would be added to their mobile phone bill in a similar fashion to what was recently used to provide financial support in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti. When a donation is made by a donor-pedestrian the video projection reacts to show the person who was seen sleeping at the bottom of the building get up and walk through a doorway of an apartment. The projection was set up at nine locations over a three-day period.

DISNEY OFFERS REFUNDS ON BABY EINSTEIN VIDEOS

The Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood is Victorious! Their successful campaign to persuade Disney to give refunds to parents who purchased Baby Einstein videos has become a huge international story. Media coverage includes a front page story in The New York Times ("No Genius in Your Crib? Get a Refund"); stories on Good Morning America and the CBS Evening News; and articles in hundreds of newspapers throughout the United States and Canada. Parents in other countries are now demanding their money back.

Many, including | THE EYE |, have virally spread news about commercialism for babies and children—on blogs, Twitter and Facebook. Screen time for babies and more recently Disney's deceptive marketing has become a hot topic, especially on parenting blogs and listservs. Pediatricians are also planning to distribute information about the refunds in their offices.

The message? Baby Einstein DVDs are not educational. The New York Times called the refunds "a tacit admission that [Baby Einstein] did not increase infant intellect." Now parents will be able to rely on honest information and solid research - not marketing hype - when making important decisions about if and when to let their youngest and most vulnerable children watch screen media. One mom said, "It's great that parents will now have one less thing to worry about. No longer will they feel the pressure to have their babies watch so-called educational videos or risk falling behind."

For a refund go to CCFC's website where there are instructions for how to get a refund, more about CCFC's campaign, a fact sheet on baby videos, and links to all the press coverage.