Host creates the Merry Twitter Tree

Host has launched the ‘The Merry Twitter Tree’ – a Christmas tree lit by tweetsfrom across the globe that include the words ‘Merry Christmas’. 

Physically located at the agency’s premises in Surry Hills, the tree is being filmed andstreamed live to a website where users can interact with the tree and read the tweets. The more ‘MerryChristmas’ is tweeted, the more the tree flickers.

The site brings many different technologies together, combining live video streaming, social interaction, Flash and lights controlled by an ‘Arduino’ micro-controller.

Donal O’keefe, Innovations Director at Host said: “Recent advances in technology have opened up an exciting space between the digital and physical worlds. Combine that with social networks and you have a realm of experiments and interactions which we are just beginning to explore.” 

The site follows Host’s Facebook campaign for Vodafone, which used similar technology allowing people to command a real robot to bash a giant piñata. 

To date the campaign has received hundreds of online mentions, and gained over 8,000 new fans on Facebook for Vodafone.