Last January we decided to create 52 videos in 52 weeks, and somehow managed to pull it off. The reason for doing it? We preach to our clients all the time about creating lots of valuable video content as a means to increase digital footprint, so we wanted to feel what it was like to walk in their shoes and adhere to a strict schedule for one year. (It’s tough, but doable.)

When I put the Flip Cam in Hillary’s hands and leave the office, entertaining videos happen. And traffic to our blog increases 1000%. Lesson learned: Put her in charge of all videos in 2010.

For our 52nd video we turned over directing duties to John Pemble. Over the past year he interviewed us a few times for an Iowa Public Radio story, and along the way he grabbed a bunch of footage and graciously compiled it together (above). John asked us about how our business has shifted, competition, and trends in the industry.

So there you have it. Thanks everyone for a great 2009 – it was a blast!

What will you be creating in 2010?

This morning we said thanks for a great 2009 by buying coffee for anyone who showed up at Mars Cafe between 8:00 and 9:00. What a great way to close out the year — a cozy café, hot coffee and good friends. Thanks to everyone who dropped by! Below are some video highlights.

Here’s something different for this week’s video. We’re 50 episodes into our Area 52 video series, so it’s time to get creative, right? We shot various components of our day and attempted to stitch them together into some narrative form, which you can view above. Inspired by our friend John Pemble’s work on 12seconds.tv, each clip is only three seconds long. (John is a master at short-form storytelling.)

Today’s video and self-publishing tools are easy and affordable, so there’s no reason you can’t get into it. What sorts of creative things have you done with video lately?

On November 19th, Foursquare (a location-based social network) announced it was adding 50 more cities to the service. Unfortunately, Des Moines wasn’t on the list. Thus, it’s time to make some noise.

Here’s what we’d like you to do. Create a video response to my YouTube video above, telling the Foursquare team exactly why you want the service to come to DeMo. Be sure to shoot it inside or outside your favorite coffee shop, restaurant, bar, office, etc. (whatever venue you know you’ll be the Mayor of).

If our community creates enough videos, we might just get noticed. Don’t forget to include the words Foursquare and Des Moines in the YouTube tags and title. Visit YouTube’s help section if you need assistance posting your video response. A direct link to my video can be found here.

For those readers asking “Huh? What’s this Foursquare thing you speak of?” — it is a location-based social network that you use to “check in” at your favorite haunts (with your GPS-enabled mobile device) and compete with your friends over who visits more often. If that’s you, you become the “Mayor” of that location. Foursquare’s creators refer to the service as 50% friend-finder, 30% social cityguide and 20% nightlife game.

Currently I’m the Mayor of a martini bar in Indianapolis, but I’d much rather be battling my Des Moines friends over Mayorship of venues here in town. So let’s get started on those videos, folks. If you’re too shy to create one, you can demand Des Moines as a Foursquare city using this form.

Lights, camera — action!

Last week the Silicon Prairie News crew stopped by our office and we had a quick chat about what’s new over in Omaha. Jeff Slobotski wouldn’t reveal any of the speakers for BIG Omaha quite yet (I tried to pry it out of him) but he does talk about how SPN will be represented at South by Southwest Interactive in 2010.

If you aren’t familiar with Silicon Prairie News, it’s an online publication dedicated to documenting and highlighting technology startups, companies and entrepreneurs located here in the Midwest (AKA “flyover country”). Be sure to follow the authors on Twitter: Jeff Slobotski, Dusty Davidson, Danny Schreiber and Geoff Wood, who is now covering the Des Moines region.

This evening we’re opening our doors from 5:00-7:00pm during the East Village Holiday Promenade. Please stop by and have a drink with us, and don’t forget to RSVP on Facebook. Happy Holidays!

During a layover at Detroit Metro Airport (DTW) I had the pleasure of traveling through the light tunnel, an ambient, subterranean sound and light experience that connects the concourses. I’m featuring it here on the blog because it was such a pleasant (and relaxing) surprise. Below is a video I captured inside the light tunnel.

My FlipCam didn’t do the best job capturing the colors, so here’s a great photo taken by pallid7 and shared on Flickr.com:

My friend Greg Swan also blogged about the tunnel a few weeks back. Here’s a great photo set on Flickr (courtesy of photographer Steve Hopson), and some videos on YouTube. Additionally, I discovered a post on JimOnLight.com that explains the tunnel’s concept, design and logistics.

So, why am I writing about a light tunnel? Because it was an unexpected, positive experience. Look at the volume of content (blog posts, photos and videos) created about it – not just by me, but by hundreds of people. Create a unique experience for your customers, and they’ll do the same.