I’ve noticed an exciting (or disturbing, depending upon your perspective) trend in advertising over the past five years or so, crowdsourced advertising. You’ve seen it. A company runs a contest open to anyone and everyone, then the winners’ and sometimes finalists’ spots are given airtime, even on the Superbowl. If I recall correctly, Doritos gave rise to that concept back in 2006.
On one hand, it’s a great opportunity for aspiring filmmakers and aspiring advertising practitioners to work on huge brands, gaining incredible exposure early in their careers. On the other hand, it’s a big ol’ screw you to the companies’ ad agencies.
I used to have a client who would come to the TV shoots, sit in a director’s chair, and keep a checklist on her lap to ensure that we: A. captured all the required information mentioned in the creative brief, B. stayed well within the budget, and C. adhered to every detail of the brand standards throughout the spot. Contest entrants generally have only two items on their checklists:
- Is it funny?
- Did it cost the client nothing to produce?
With each new campaign for my client, there was a new set of parameters, a new set of rules, a new series of roadblocks on the path to great work. Even if I do say so myself, some of the work we came up with was pretty good. But when I think about what we could’ve done if all (or even some) of the parameters were thrown out the window, I feel quite jealous of my contest counterparts.
I challenge clients out there to give their agencies the same opportunity that’s given to contest entrants. Just for a minute, throw away the checklists and see what great work can do for your brand.