When news of Michael Jackson’s death broke yesterday, the Internet nearly broke with it. People flocked to their computers, if they weren’t already in front of them, to share their thoughts and feelings on the passing of a true music icon. Everyone had something to say, at the same time, giving the Internet’s infrastructure a thorough testing. All of this illustrates a fundamental change in how we experience events collectively.

According to The New York Times, “Ethan Zuckerman, a fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard, tweeted that Mr. Jackson was a more popular topic on Twitter than the Iranian election or the recent flu outbreak ever were.”

Mr. Zucker’s quick research shows that approximately 15% of all posts on Twitter last evening mentioned Michael Jackson. The percentage may seem small but considering the sheer volume of tweets per day, which some estimate to be close to 20 million, the statistic is amazing.

What does this say about how we communicate as a society now? Major pop cultural moments in our country, and around the world, used to be passive events. The Kennedy Assassination. The Lunar Landing. The Challenger Explosion. The Fall of the Berlin Wall. Even 9/11. We watched as history was broadcast into our homes, and we discussed the significance with our friends, family and co-workers in our communities. Now, with pop culture episodes like Jackson’s death, we actively share the experience and participate in a larger collective conversation via the web.

Here’s an interesting and very debatable question:  is the new shared cultural moment more meaningful than the old?

What’s not debatable is the breadth of Jackson’s career. At Red Square Agency, we are paying tribute to the “King of Pop” with an all-day MJ Marathon on our Internet radio station, WRED–visit our web site and click the link in the upper right.

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I’ve been listening to a weird mix of stuff lately. Some new music, some old-school classics that deserve rediscovering. Anyway, I figured I’d share a playlist with all you fine people.

Satellite Skin by Modest Mouse. I’ve loved these guys since 1997′s Lonesome Crowded West, which I still consider their raw best. On this particular track, Isaac and the boys seem to have recovered some of the fire from their early albums. My favorite line: “Hard enough just to say you believe them/ Well how the heck did you think you could beat them/ At the same time that you’re trying to be them.”

Belated Promise Ring by Iron & Wine. This song is just pretty.

Starman by David Bowie. I have to admit I didn’t listen to much Bowie until Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Call me a convert. The guy is amazing, and everyone under 30 years old needs to check into Mr. Bowie.

Nikorette by Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band. Prolific is the only way to describe Conor. I interviewed him back in 2005 just before the release of I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning, and since then he’s lived in three or four different states and put out as many albums. He makes Ryan Adams look lazy. This track is my favorite from his new disc–I immediately liked it from the opening bar.

Dream City by Free Energy. This is glistening pop. It’s a guilty pleasure. So what?

Two Weeks by Grizzly Bear. I’m trying to figure these guys out. Here goes: their stuff is ethereal. And awesome.

Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon. How can you deny any song that begins with the line “I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand, walking through the streets of Soho in the rain?” My friends, you simply cannot.

Speedoo by The Cadillacs. I told you this mix was odd. I first heard this song in the 1990 Scorsese classic Goodfellas. It popped back into my head a few weeks ago and has been there since.

Best Supporting Actress by One for the Team. Another kind of new age pop song. A great guitar sound.

Paperback Writer by The Beatles. I’ve always leaned toward the Lennon songs, but this McCartney track has been in my rotation recently. Don’t ask why. There’s no explanation. Maybe I want to be a paperback writer, okay?

There you go. Maybe @ninatot will teach me how to link the songs to iTunes. Next time?

Happy listening.

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A little over a year ago, Gulf Coast home builder Heritage Homes appeared on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and received an incredible amount of well-deserved press. I emailed company president Frank Lott to congratulate him, and after a few conversations our agency was awarded his account.

Heritage Homes was founded in 1983, and their advertising had been very down-the-middle-of-the-fairway, similar to other retail home builders. The Extreme Makeover experience was an eye-opener. The public saw firsthand that Heritage Homes is a genuinely good-hearted company. And if they’re on a nationally televised show, then their product must be solid, right?

The positive publicity created a measure of brand fame, and the timing was perfect to step it up with the paid media. There’s no reason the advertising shouldn’t illustrate the same personality people followed on the show.

Heritage Homes’ retail advertising continues to be all about value; however, we’ve introduced conceptual advertising into the mix, something no other builder in the area is doing. It shows that Heritage Homes has a personality and gives the audience credit for having an intelligence.

Aside from the advertising, we’ve built a new web site from the ground up. The site is an integral part of the buying experience, so we concentrated on improving not only the production quality (overall design and photography), we completely reworked the information architecture to deliver a productive user experience. Have a look: HeritageHomesFamily.com.

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Here’s something awesome from Creature in Seattle. Endorsed by such financial wizards as Alan Greenspan, Bernie Madoff and Tom Casey, the Mattress Wallet may be the most important innovation in wallet technology since the invention of the billfold itself.

The graphs (and copy) in the “financial advice” section make a compelling case indeed. I think I just found a replacement for my bacon wallet. Thanks Creature.

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Advertising people are notorious “borrowers” of pop culture, art, music and other advertising. Adam Noel and Jon Kubik decided to make it easy for all of us. Check out Steal Our Ideas.

They explain:

“Stealourideas.com is here to help you get back the happiness that you’ve sacrificed to work long hours in creative industries. Our blog entries will save you the time and energy it usually takes to think of stuff, while building the credit needed to chat yourself up at award shows.”

Really funny writing and great illustration.

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