Make Rivington Street Snow…On Demand

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[source: @jamesparton]No one in northeast should be demanding snow, especially with Hurricane Sandy so fresh in our memory.  While we were minding the social media gap, we stumbled upon this insistent monstrosity.  Fortunately we can spare Economy Candy the snowy awning for the moment, as the Rivington Street in question is our sister street across the pond.  London, specifically.

Given the sponsorship of EE, a UK all-inclusive digital network solution, and the powerhouse Foursquare, you would think this signage would refer to some sort of electronic snow globe sent to your phone.  Not the case.  If you call or check in, you will actually make it snow…from a real snow cannon on a rooftop.  How can you not love the Brits and their cleverness?

The above is part of a larger holiday campaign in the trendy ‘hood of Hackney in East London, called “Make Hackney Sparkle,” which includes a geocaching advent calendar, skating, comedy nights , and all sorts of other lovely holiday cheer.

Also of notable interest on our sister street in London is 49 Rivington.  Originally it housed The Anti-University, established in 1968 by David Cooper and Alan Krebs. Its syllabus covered three main areas: radical politics, existential psychiatry and the artistic avant-garde.  Lecturers included John Latham and the (in)famous Yoko Ono. Today, the institution lives on at the Tate Modern as The Silent University, offering lecture series on and by people living in exile.  49 Rivington is now much like our very own – apartments.

While this snow-making is whimsical and an interesting marketing tactic, you can keep it, and the subsequent panic it creates for you, London.  Besides, ours will be here soon enough.

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[London Snowstorm, 2010]