I have a confession to make. I like microsites. Not as in, our company has 500 different disconnected sites for every promotion and product. As in, we have built an online experience that can change your mind about who we are, that’s either something you haven’t seen before, or something done better than you’ve seen before, or both. The kind of thing you’d seek out and share with your friends.

Most dotcom sites are simply not designed or developed on the back end to accommodate this kind of thing. Does that mean we give up on the idea that the web can do more than help people achieve rational goals like research or reading news or putting something in a shopping cart?

I think the microsite hate we’ve seen over the last few years was mostly well founded. There was a lot of clutter and a lot of money being spent on nonsense. That said, I really don’t understand why the online ecosystem of a big brand can’t include a few super groovy entertaining brand experiences that blow people’s minds.

As long as the number of microsites is kept within reason, why exactly shouldn’t brands build them? The Internet has this awesome feature called a hyperlink. As long is there is a clearly marked way to get back and forth between dotcom and branded experiences, what is the problem?

Sometimes, just sometimes, a project you’re working on might run into some…problems. Snags. Roadblocks. Hiccups. Things like that. You might find that you’re totally understaffed, or that you need a skill set you thought you had but didn’t. Or your hotshot designer might have walked out on you, leaving you, well, effed.

Don’t be ashamed – it happens to everyone. In times like these, the best thing to do is let those who need to know, know. You, my friend, need to send an E-Fail.

Riding the success wave of InternetOnlineWebsite.com, The Barbarian Group and Aquent have teamed up yet again to provide our friends and colleagues with a way to get the word out that things aren’t going so well. Utilizing one of the internet’s most cutting edge technologies, E-Cards, we’ve designed a site that lets you take control of your sinking ship of a project. IAmEffed.com is a free resource to help you get the help you need, fast.

What’s more, E-Fails are completely customizable to your current situation and level of distress. Within a matter of seconds, 41 different captions combined with 7 different illustrations provide more than 287 possible combinations. Well-placed humor is used to disarm your recipient, getting them on YOUR side. Thanks, E-Fail!

Even better, E-Fail can be sent completely anonymously, allowing you to let your producer, ECD or HR representative know about problems on the project without singling you out as the pariah.

So try an E-Fail today! E-Fail, when you care enough to send the very effed.

Midway through 2009, we got word that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame would be be throwing a huge concert event to celebrate their 25th anniversary. They were understandably secretive about the artist list, so when we got the final bill, our jaws dropped. Stevie Wonder. Aretha Franklin. Simon & Garfunkel performing together. Metallica with Lou Reed and Ray Davies. U2 performing with Bruce Springsteen and Mick Jagger. Woah.

So we got on the ball and built a fitting site. It’s simple and smooth, but packs a lot of content into a small space. It features artist biographies, iTunes playlists hand-picked by the Rock Hall, merchandise, video, and unique artist pages. The show happened back in October, but much of the site is still up at rockhall25.com.

TBG New York is out working from the streets RIGHT NOW. We’re partaking in Park(ing) Day. Stop on by, say hi, and get yourself a free website.

We’ll be on Grand between Broadway and Mercer all day today.

Have you ever needed to say something, but felt that you just had too many words to say it with? Something like, “Hamburger [plus] Hamburger [equals sign] Smiley face. Poop!”? It’s out of this necessity that Emoji Tales was built. Emoji Tales allows you to construct short, profound, stories and truisms from the much ballyhooed emoji symbols used by the iPhone. Common use-cases might include, drafting a resignation, professing your love, or explaining your husbands death to loved ones.

But it doesn’t stop there friends. If you use Twitter to “tweet” the URL of your Emoji Tale creation, tag it with #emojitales. These tweets will be collected and re-tweeted by @emojitales for everyone to enjoy.

Thanks to Robert for creative direction, production gruntitude, and an unhealthy knack for hilarious Emoji Tales.

Dude the PhotoLolz Polaroid Emulator is pretty sweet.

Snap your instant photo at Photololz.com

I hereby announce my candidacy for Mayor of The Barbarian Group. I have created a website, that shall grow organically as the election draws closer, in order to provide voters with information about my platform as well as my opinions in regards to the most pressing issues of the day. http://dinesforabettertomorrow.com

I would like to hereby thank Noah Brier for his sage-like advice as my Chief Strategy Officer, Toby Boudreaux for his deft management as Chief of Staff, as well as Josh Carr and Alex Bisceglie and Nate Wolfe for their brilliant support in the lead up to this announcement. It’s going to be a glorious future and I fully welcome your support!

Thank you for your time, may your day be FULL OF LASERS AND POWER CHORDS!!!!!