If you've recently found yourself in one of the cities inundated with TAP Project ads maybe they got you too. In the event these ads haven't yet sufficiently tempted your curiosity, I encourage you to try them out now and text T-A-P to U-N-I-C-E-F (864233)-just like they ask you to.I'll wait.Okay, done?Did it happen to you?Well, last night, after passing my umpteenth TAP Project ad here in Los Angeles, I finally succumbed to the clever copy and friendly images and decided I wanted to know what it was all about. In pursuit of such a general answer, I followed the ad's instructions and texted the word "Tap" to "UNICEF". (As I've now suggested you do.)A bit to my surprise (and perhaps now to yours), I was instantaneously countered with the following text message reply: "To confirm your $5 donation to UNICEF reply with the word YES."Wah?! I felt like they had tricked me into donating when I hadn't actually donated yet-and didn't necessarily mean to in the first place. Nevertheless, sitting there, confronted with such a simple, if presumptuous, retort to my innocent experiment with text message marketing, I sure as hell wasn't going to be the guy who didn't give UNICEF five bucks by simply responding with a "YES."So I did. (And perhaps you have too?) In a way, I thank them for tricking me-or I could say surprising me-into it. I feel good about having given the money, and I'll admit that I probably wouldn't have if the ask was more overt.And now I'm telling you about it. (And perhaps helped trick you into a small act of philanthropy as well.) I've got to hand it to that campaign-entertaining and effective all the way through.iphone image taken by the author on Melrose near LaBrea.
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