Every weekday, PR Daily associate editor Alan Pearcy highlights the day’s most compelling stories and amusing marginalia on the Web in this, #TheDailySpin.

Peanut butter slices, Super Soakers, beer, memory for my computer’s hard drive—OK, who leaked my Christmas list? Apparently, it was Mashable. Recently, the site published this list with 20 of the most stimulating truths learned from social sharing site Reddit over the past year. For instance, peanut butter was once sold in a way similar to Kraft Singles, and Lonnie Johnson, inventor of NERF’s popular line of water pistols, reinvested his earnings from the toy into research and development for his energy technology companies.

RELATED: A Reddit cheat sheet for PR and marketing pros

Also recently shared on Reddit is a video gone viral of now-fired Walmart employees heedlessly throwing and damaging iPads in a Pikesville, Ky., stockroom.

RELATED: Stiffed on tip, pizza guy urinates on woman’s door

Perhaps you’re wary of your own employees—particularly those calling in sick Tuesday. CNET reports that a new IGN poll found that one in four respondents planned to skip either work or school on Nov. 13, the same day that the highly-anticipated installment in the “Call of Duty” video game series is released.

It wouldn’t bode well for Alexandra Wallace to “call in sick,” not after she was named the new executive—and first woman—in charge of all four hours of NBC’s “Today.”

Speaking of “Today,” Gawker posted a clip from the show aired 28 years ago that it the blog deemed the greatest interview in television history.



Few interviews prove as captivating as that one, one factor that’s making it harder to interest millennials in the news. However, Huffington Post co-founder Ken Lerer believes he’s created an app—NowThisNews—capable of just that. (via PSFK)

Of course, not all creations can be winners, but that rule doesn’t apply to this bunch. Have a look at the campaigns, clients, and advertisers who made the 2012 Creativity Awards Report.

As for brands looking to win consumers this holiday season, Likeable suggests three ways for marketers to do so using Pinterest.

RELATED: 7 proven ways to create viral Pinterest posts

Likewise, a mounting number of brands including Mondalez, Coca-Cola, and Heineken are increasingly turning to crowdsourcing to engage their consumer base.

I suppose that’s one way to communicate with customers, although Toyota is taking things to the next level by testing cars that communicate with each other.

On social media, though, new research from ad platform Unruly shines light on ways that automakers are driving views of their online video content year-round.

Nevertheless, there’s a lot on social media that some people think shouldn’t be shared at all, yet alone year-round. Case in point: A recent post by Lindsay Cross on the parenting blog Mommyish that comes out against the hoards of inappropriate “Tickle Me Elmo” jokes flooding Twitter in regards to puppeteer Kevin Clash’s alleged underage sex scandal.

Meanwhile, Leo Burnett alleges that eight of its former employees not only attempted to sabotage an assignment for the agency’s Kellogg account, but also that they timed their respective resignations to do so, hoping to set up their own shop and steal the client project.

Is there something you think we should include in our next edition of #TheDailySpin? Tweet me @iquotesometimes with your suggestions. Thanks in advance.

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