Twitter user Ashley Kerekes, an American whose hobbies are knitting and babysitting, became an unlikely star thanks to a case of mistaken identities. Her handle is @theashes, and the annual cricket test between England and Australia is called The Ashes. When cricket fans started to mistakenly tweet @theashes rather than using #theashes or #ashes to discuss cricket, she flipped out. A viral campaign, Get @theashes To The Ashes, was started. Thanks to the combined efforts of Vodaphone, Qantas, and thousands of Aussies, Ashley “@theashes” Kerekes has been flown to Sydney, Australia, to attend the final Ashes Test.
Vodaphone has also kicked off a second Twitter campaign, #teachtheashestheashes, during which cricket-savvy Twitter users are trying to teach Ms. Kerekes the ins and outs of cricket while she attends her first-ever cricket match. It appears that the lessons are taking hold, at least partially. In fact, Ms. Kerekes is fully embracing cricket and its terminology.
”I’m really excited even though Australians are pretty bummed – I know that England has retained,” she said. ”I think they call it a dead rubber or something like that.”
Tags: Cricket, The Ashes, England versus Australia, Twitter user @theashes goes to The Ashes, @theashes, social media, viral fame, mistaken identities, @theashes at The Ashes, Ashes Test, Sydney, Australia, Vodaphone, Westfield, Massachusetts, Ashley Kerekes, Qantas
