The Village newspaper in Russia has launched an app that tackles the Russian epidemic of bad parking. Crowd sourced images of offenders uploaded via the app utilise number plate recognition and then add the offending cars into ad units that obstruct the copy on the page. The neat thing being the use of ip detection so the cars you see are offenders in your area. This real-time use of tech then encourages the viewer to remove the offender by clicking share hence spreading the word of the offending car to more people. It’s a name and shame campaign using clever technology.

http://vimeo.com/42188610

Spotted by Digital Buzz Blog

In the last few years’ charities have had to innovate to stand out. It’s increasingly harder to get noticed in crowded social spaces so the easier it is to donate the better.

You can now donate your unused Twitter characters to a good cause.

The Hashtags4Heroes app auto-populates the unused characters in your tweets with messages raising awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), an organization honouring veterans wounded since 9/11.

The Twitter application, launched by WWP supporter Raytheon for Military Appreciation Month, aims to increase visibility of the work being done for injured military service members and their families.

The Urgent Genius in such a campaign is obvious. Your tweets create a real-time hash-tagged campaign that will give this charity’s work the recognition it deserves and hopefully the donations.

After just a week, over 125,000 characters were filled with Hashtags4Heroes messages and a target of 300,000 is hoped for by May 31^st.

You can register to donate your unused characters here. What other unique social campaigns have you spotted in the charity sector? Reply in the comments.

Bored of Banksy? What do you think about this piece?  If you create or spot any Jubilee-related bit of newjacking, send it to us at urgent.genius@gmail.com. Also, if you want to help us with our Urgent Genius Jubilee brief and you know anyone who’s been in their job for 60 years, send them to us as well.

The net was buzzing on Wednesday after Obama’s endorsed Gay marriages. Mashable has reported on the various animated GIFs, jpegs and video mash-ups that have been flooding social networks. We love this Tumblr called When Obama endorsed. If you’ve seen any others please send them to us.

Thanks to Mil0 for the spot

As the news that Adam Yauch, the founding member of The Beastie Boys passed away after a 3-year battle with cancer over the weekend, memorials have come from across the world.

Not only are their legions of fans devastated but many other musicians are saddened by the loss. Coldplay’s Chris Martin played a touching and somber tribute to Yauch at The Hollywood Bowl with his rendition of ‘Fight for your Right.’

RIP MCA