No, that arrow isn’t pointing to Rihanna’s butt (no, not much it isn’t) — it’s pointing to the Social Snap Tag on the cover of this month’s Glamour magazine.

What’s a Social Snap Tag? Well, as Social Times reports, “using either a free Android or iPhone app to scan these images takes the phone’s user to the advertising company’s Twitter or Facebook stream for more interaction which can include more information, special offers and even the possibility to win prizes like free shipping for life or travel.”

Are these the next big thing?

Well, I don’t know … were QC codes in ads the next big thing? Sorta. Were :CueCat barcodes the next big thing? Hardly. Will Social Snap Tags be valuable to brands? Probably more so for the few earliest adopters — like Glamour — who use them and grab some earned media out of the deal.

If you have a specific screen name you’re using on one social network, wouldn’t it be cool to have a simple-to-use service that checks dozens of other social networks to see whether or not that screen name is taken? Oh, wait: There is.

The John Carter movie may be seven months away, but Disney is doing some really smart things to build awareness now.

Over on Huffington Post, this piece of “sponsor generated content” looks at “14 Incredible Fictional Worlds You’d Most Want to Visit.” It’s smart for two main reasons: (1) The content is structured exactly like so many other similar chunks of content on HuffPo, and (2) The content isn’t a screaming-loud irritation like they’ve done so often in the recent past. Indeed, Barsoom is just one of the 14 fictional worlds noted, so we’re looking at more of a soft-sell approach here.

Of course, the page has a coupla ads for the movie — which link to the John Carter Facebook page, which includes a countdown to opening weekend and a trailer. But again, the ads are nestled in the page content, not screaming at the page viewer. The overall effect is one of integration, not interruption. Beneath that trailer, by the way: Links to content that may not be directly relevant to selling a ticket to the John Carter movie, but that would possibly be of interest to someone who is also interested in John Carter. More smart soft sell.

I also love the fact that they lead with one of Frank Frazetta’s legendary paintings, though here’s a memo to either Disney or the HuffPo editor that posted this: It’s Edgar Rice Burroughs, not Edgar Riche Burroughs. You wanna fix that, please? Sheesh.

Takeaway for marketers: Take a look at the HuffPo link. It’s a great example of online advertorial content.

Mashable reports that Facebook will now let expectant parents add their unborn children to friends and family listings.

The last time I felt this T-boned by digital news was when I started seeing stories about brides and grooms tweeting their weddings from the altar.

If you’re tweeting your proposal or creating a Facebook page for your zygote, you’ve fallen way over the edge. Seriously, it’s probably time for an intervention.

… which should not take place via Skype, by the way.

Mashable takes a look at some of the online marketing efforts behind Cowboys and Aliens. Of course, one has to wonder: Do any of these efforts actually increase awareness and desire to see the movie? Or are they simply a piece of some sort of ubiquity the movie’s trying to accomplish in the cultural landscape? Or are those kinda the same thing in the minds of many? Hmmmmm.