Hugh McLeod of Gapingvoid fame provides a great primer on the concepts of what he calls "social objects" -- tangible (or sometimes intangible) items that are the reason that people talk to one another; in other words, they are the basis of "word of mouth" marketing. Hugh says, "The Social Object, in a nutshell, is the reason two people are talking to each other, as opposed to talking to somebody else. Human beings are social animals. We like to socialize. But if think about it, there needs to be a reason for it to happen in the first place. That reason, that 'node' in the social network, is what we call the Social Object." Here's the whole article.

Some of the best "social objects" I've seen recently come from the art world, in particular John Unger's Great Bowls of Fire. Also, the iPhone is a great social object. (I certainly wanted to talk to someone and take a look at one first-hand when I met someone who was carrying one when they first came out.)

In your opinion, what are the best social objects that encourage conversation today?