2009 In Twibbons: What Were You Wearing?
Twitter have announced the definitive list of trends over 2009, so we thought it would be appropriate to look back on the year that’s come and gone here at Twibbon Towers and reveal the 10 most popular Twibbons of the year. Looking down, you’ll see what a mixed bunch they are. Chances are if you’re reading this, you’ll have come across at least some of these on Twitter or Facebook, or maybe you’ve worn one yourself! Let us know in the comments section below!
1) Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October was officially Breast Cancer Awareness month, and a record breaking month it was, with more than 90,000 users globally wearing a variety of pink ribbons to show their solidarity for this hugely important cause. It was a star-studded online event with the likes of Kim Kardashian, Denise Richards and Jordin Sparks getting involved with the Twibbons.
2) Santa Hat
Is it that time of year already?! You guys can’t wait for Christmas – at least that’s what we’re seeing from the uptake of festive hats. There are a few variations doing the rounds in December, but this original by @BrianLimond is the classic that’s done so well.
This was the first national Twibbon cause to take off with mass appeal. In response to the tragic Jakarta Bombings on July 17th, the Indonesian people and wider international community found an outlet for their grief, outrage and steadfastness online in this small simple depiction of the Indonesian flag.
4) Yellow Ribbon For President Cory
Cory Aquino did a huge amount for the Philippines during her time as President. Her passing was a blow to a nation for whom she was a symbol of freedom and political justice. The small yellow ribbon could be seen in thousands of profile pictures, on the logos of Asian news networks, and even made it onto this dedicated bulletin.
5) Support Royal British Legion
The poppy is a symbol of remembrance worn over the time leading up to Armistice Day by the British people. Proceeds that go to the Royal British Legion contribute towards military families, veterans and those still serving in Her Majesty’s Armed Forces abroad. This Twibbon was synonymous with a hashtag #2minutesilence aiming to keep Twitter tweet-free out of respect for two minutes.
6) IE6 Must Die
Started by @LynchJames, this protest Twibbon was picked up by every tech-site around, including this one on Mashable. Users were objecting to the outdated browser client Internet Explorer 6 by Microsoft, and hoped to prompt users to surf the net using other browsers.
Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation needs a huge amount of support to help fight childhood cancer, and is depicted by its iconic lemons. Twilight star Peter Facinelli helped this Twibbon go off the charts, and soon there were lemons all over Twitter and Facebook.
At the height of the ‘ObamaCare’ debate, when comparisons between the United States and British Healthcare systems were being made, there was a movement in Britain to defend the values of the NHS with the #welovetheNHS hashtag against American rebuke. Politicians, celebrities and the like were heavily involved in this transatlantic trend.
On November 1st, @joinred and Twitter joined forces to turn the ‘Pulse of the Planet’ red with uniquely coloured tweets. This was all to raise awareness of the AIDS epidemic, and was supported by NikeFootball’s Lace Up Save Lives imperative.
10) CENSURANUNCAMAIS
This Brazilian cause was created to protest against the governmental censorship of the newspaper Estado de S. Paul. It was noticeable throughout Twitter for its imposing black and white design, and more information can be found at http://censuranuncamais.com
