I find most companies asking for user generated content want one of two things:

1)Other people to do their work for them on the cheap and/or
2)Don’t want to pay an advertising agency

Sometimes it works (Doritos and the Super Bowl) and rubs advertising creatives the wrong way and we all get in a tizzy and think of ways to criticize the work as “unprofessional” when really we’re thinking “we should have thought of that.”

Sorry, this new campaign from Century 21 doesn’t sell me on wanting to create a wacky video of me doing wacky things for “exposure”

I’m personally of the opinion that payoff doesn’t match the efforts, but then again, closing costs are a pain

Being that I hang out with people who do these things, I’m sure I’m going to get a lot of emails asking for my vote…but that teaser ad. Yikes

Technorati Tags: Century 21, user generated content, marketing, things that rub me wrong

‘Look at Me!’ speedsters in the UK are pretty much doing the Po-Po’s job for them by filming their high speed antics and whacking ‘em up on YouTube.
It does seem to be direct from the ’so dumb it’s funny’ book but it’s actually happening and I can imagine the boys in blue are loving it, they get to surf the web all day and fill their monthly quota of speeding tickets. Now that’s the only way to live.
And a great use of UGC.

Microsoft recently published some interesting survey results regarding teens and their comprehension of intellectual property. The general summary is that teens aren’t very familiar with intellectual property rights, with 49% of those surveyed saying they were “not familiar with the rules and guidelines for downloading images, literature, music, movies and software from the Internet.” In short, kids don’t know much about the rules governing intellectual property and don’t think of downloading as stealing.

So of course, Microsoft has a solution to the problem: MYBYTES.com. It’s an interesting yet somewhat chaotic site that contains a “music mixer” that is actually fairly fun to play with, “on the street interviews” with teens which show they know nothing about intellectual property, and “viewpoints” where artists and professionals share their thoughts. An interesting idea for a site, but it doesn’t really teach all that much, and fails to really tell teens what they should be learning. Not to mention the lack of discussion about fair use, Creative Commons, and other licensings. Certainly interesting to see the issues tackled in website form, targeted at teens. Whether or not it makes any impact in the long run is a whole ‘nother story.

So what’s the relevance of wiener poopie?

Well, a bit of post-Super-Bowl-extravaganza humor never hurts. But more importantly, it speaks (albeit in a bizarre way) to the rapidly changing television environment. Every time I turn on the TV and flip through the cable news channels, I’m surprised. While I’d like to think CNN running a story about a Jesus statue being held hostage is just an anomaly, I’m quickly realizing that is no longer the case. Television is rapidly beginning to emulate much of the internet, and news channels are prime examples. Turning into more of an extravaganza-style, shows like Countdown with Keith Olberman and much of the general CNN and MSNBC’s newscasts showcase rapidfire bits and trinkets, with significantly less in-depth analysis. The local news in Portland has even begun pulling and featuring clips off of YouTube in their newscast and soliciting viewer photos and videos - taking user-generated beyond content and into the realm of factual news.

So the big question: what direction is television viewership moving? Programs are becoming more rapid-fire bits and pieces, emulating on-line news aggregators and video sites. Are the viewers themselves shifting as well? or are broadcast and cable tv just trying to figure out how to maintain their media share in the presence of the ever-growing internet community? Does that shift change the way viewers interact with the advertising alongside these newscasts? Either way, it’s interesting to watch as a viewer, and certainly could have some impact down the road in terms of advertising and branding on tv.

Technorati Tags: CNN, MSNBC, news, user-generated content, youtube, beyond madison avenue

As this year’s ski & snowboard season ramps up, companies are doing everything they can to push product. Vermont-based Burton Snowboards has re-invented their “open minds, open mountains” campaign with a hefty challenge to “sabotage stupidity” by poaching at the four resorts in the US that still ban snowboarding. In the video on their microsite, there’s a lengthy intro by Jake Burton where he mentions Facism and Draconian bans, and proceeds to talk about the Declaration of Independence, freedom, and poaching as a form of protest. It’s a bit heavyhanded, but I wouldn’t expect any less from Burton. To top it off, there’s a $5000 purse per resort for the best user-generated poaching video posted to the site. That’s one way to invite participation. And to make the pot even sweeter (and voice support for the campaign), companies are pitching in, like Seattle snowboarding retailer Evo Gear who added an additional $5000 to the purse.

It’s interesting to see a company the size of Burton, the world’s leading snowboard manufacturer, pushing something along the lines of poaching. I’d have to question the legal implications of a possibly illegal endeavor on a private resort. They do have a “Poaching 10 commandments” page on the site, the first of which is don’t break the law, but it’s still something unexpect from Burton - which may be a good thing. It’ll be interesting to see how it all plays out, and to see if they actually get some cool content out of it.
Technorati Tags: advertising, snowboarding, user-generated, beyond madison avenue

We reported on Friday that Apple would be running a broadcast ready version of a student-made commercial for the iPod Touch. Apparently they’ve been working quickly because it’s already posted to the Apple website as of yesterday. They’ve stayed very close to the original version, created by Nick Haley.

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, apple, ipod touch, nick haley, UGC

 

Christine over at PSFK points out this fantastic mish-mash backlash to Dove’s newest masterpiece, Onslaught. Filmmaker Rye Clifton has created a piece called A Message from Unilever pointing out the irony that one company believes it can get away with creating Onslaught for Dove with one hand while churning out spot after spot of bikini-clad, writhing women for Axe with the other. His mini-film ends with the statement: "Talk to your daughters before Unilever does." And apparently not one to shy away from whatever attention he gets from it, Clifton has posted his email address at the end of the piece as well. So let him know what you think.

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, dove, onslaught, axe, unilever, psfk, rye clifton

MacNN is reporting on an interesting story. Nick Haley, an 18 year old student in the UK, produced a home-brewed, fan-boy-esque spot for the iPod Touch.  Haley posted the video on YouTube (where else) where it grabbed 2000+ views in one day, leading to…an email from Apple. Contrary to what most companies do when someone creates content or talks about their product, Apple has asked Haley to work with Chiat in LA to produce a broadcast-ready version of his commercial.

Talk about falling into advertising at a young age. But it’s great to see that a company the size of Apple isn’t hiding from the UGC that’s coming out about them (granted, this isn’t exactly critical material).

 

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, apple, nick haley, youtube

 

I came across this story this morning and I’m truly impressed.  I’ve never purchased from Zappos (the online shoe store that lets you buy shoes and return them to get the right size with no extra charge), but after reading this I might just have to try them out.  Here’s a short version (edited by me, please do read the full story):

…in May we had ordered several pairs of shoes from Zappos for my mom. She’d lost a lot of weight, and her old shoes were all too big….Out of seven pairs, only two fit…

The rest were here waiting to be returned. Because of various circumstances - lost label, my mom being hospitalized and me being away, the shoes were never sent back. There’s a time limit on the return of 15 days….When you do a return to them, they pay the shipping, but you have to get the shoes to UPS yourself…

When I came home this last time, I had an email from Zappos asking about the shoes, since they hadn’t received them….I replied that my mom had died but that I’d send the shoes as soon as I could. They emailed back that they had arranged with UPS to pick up the shoes, so I wouldn’t have to take the time to do it myself…

Yesterday, when I came home from town, a florist delivery man was just leaving. It was a beautiful arrangement in a basket with white lilies and roses and carnations. Big and lush and fragrant. I opened the card, and it was from Zappos…So…

IF YOU BUY SHOES ONLINE, GET THEM FROM ZAPPOS.

With hearts like theirs, you know they’re good to do business with.

Talk about a company truly going out of their way for a customer. They helped her out by having the shoes picked up, they waived the normal 15-day return window. And then they sent flowers?? How fantastic is that? A shoe retailer made a customer feel like a million bucks at a time when she was really down. That’s not a line I hear too often.

And what does Zappos get from this? Technically nothing. Unless you take into account the 100+ comments and countless links that this woman’s blog has received from this story. Conservatively speaking, this story has wandered in front of…1000 potential customers? I bet at least a few of them will check Zappos next time they’re shoe hunting.

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, zappos

A few weeks ago, I went to a Sox game.  I bought a program. 

I got a free gift. A bumper sticker.  OOH!
It read: "Eric Gagne is a Yankees Spy."  (Don’t snicker… that’s possibly true.  Also, I’m cranky.)

But that’s not the end of it.  Let’s now check out the awesome power of Facebook groups.  There are now over 100 of ‘em devoted to lambasting the guy. 

A short list (via Sportsblahg):

Eric Gagne for Prezident (Description: Chokes harder than Bush on a pretzel)

Eric Gagne Hurt My Feelings

Killing Eric Gagne is justifiable homicide

Eric Gagne ruined my picturesque playoffs

Isn’t it ironic that Eric Gagne’s last name means "to win" in French??

Eric Gagne should be kicked in the balls by everyone in New England

 
When Mark Zuckerberg called Facebook a "social utility," I believe this is exactly what he meant.

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, facebook, social utility, eric gagne, red sox

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, a few good men, a few good creative men

Now THIS is what a response should look like. Period.

Recently I pointed out my experience with a visit to FINN here in NY. Not long after, FINN added me as a friend on facebook, which I found a little surprising (I had, after all, just pointed out a negative experience on a public forum). Well now I’d like to point out this comment from Jamie on the old post. It’s an excellent example of how to handle the situation that I pointed out, and it has immediately boosted FINN’s brand image in my eyes. Anyone who’s willing to personally respond on public blog, especially with an offer like this, deserves another chance (at the very least).

Hi Danny,

First, I’d like to thank you for your support of Freedom is Natural Nirvana (FINN) and listing it as one of your favorite clothing brands. From one artist group to another, that carries a lot of weight.

Second, I’d like to apologize for that dreadful turnaway on the 25th. Your depiction was absolutely accurate and I was caught off guard - our buzzer rings on & off throughout
the day by random visitors (or people waiting for the bus out front?) and 6pm on a Friday was quite random. After you mentioned that you are in the design field, I should’ve realized that you were actually here for us.

It’s not common that people go the extra mile to explore and develop new ideas and I’m sorry that you walked away disappointed. We invite you to come back to visit us and share your thoughts. As a gesture of our thanks, we’d like to send you and your roommate the tees you so lovingly wrote about. Please let me know your sizes and address. Hope you
have not lost faith in FINN completely – we’ve only just begun!

Sincerely,Jamie @ FINN

So, Jaimie, big thumbs up for the response! And I’d love to take you up on your offer to stop by again. I’m definitely interested in an inside look at FINN. I’ll be in touch.

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, FINN, freedom is natural nirvana

Now that I’m sure this is legit, I thought I’d share.  A couple of weeks ago, I got a random email attached to my Nike+ account.  (For those unfamiliar, the Nike+ system is the joint endeavor between Apple and Nike.  It’s a small chip that goes in/on your shoe and a corresponding plug that attaches to your nano.  The system then tracks some vital information about the user’s running workout.)  I was being cordially invited to Nike headquarters to participate in the first (annual?) Nike+ users Summit.  I almost blew it off right there, figuring it was a joke from some other user, but I decided to reply and see what happened.

Long story short…I’ve been cordially invited to Nike headquarters to participate in the first (annual?) Nike+ users Summit!  Myself and eleven other Nike+ users from around the US will be flown to Portland, then given the VIP treatment for a day at Nike.  The day includes:

-a tour of the Nike campus
-a sit-down with the digital development and marketing teams
-VIP lunch with "special guests"
-meeting with the Nike+ production team
-optional participation in a video shoot
-group fun run with "special guests"

A few points to bring this back to branding…I didn’t enter a contest.  I didn’t sign up for anything.  I didn’t ask for this.  All that I did was actively participate on the Nike+ system (the system includes a personalized website that tracks your run data, and a message board where users can interact with one another). 

Sidebar: I’m a complete sucker for online message boards.  One of the first things that I do when I get interested in something new is go join all the message boards I can find dealing with the subject.  These boards are always the best place to get information from real users rather than digging through the marketing jargon trying to understand a product. 

But what an excellent means of communicating with your true user group!  Forget all this in-house testing.  Forget what the scientists and designers think.  Find out what the REAL people think.  And yes, I have some feedback for them.  And I’m thoroughly impressed that they’re going to the trouble to bring us out and share with us (and hopefully listen as well).

I’ll be sure to keep everyone updated as I get closer to the event.  And I’ll share as much as I can, though we do have to sign a confidentiality statement regarding what we see and talk about at Nike.

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, Nike, Nike+, Nike+ Summit, branding, user interaction

Yesterday, a comment popped up here at BMA that likely would have gone unnoticed given that the post it is directed toward is a year old.  However, it’s a good, and in many ways entertaining, read, so I wanted to share it here.  The post in question is from last July and talks about a group of Cooper-Hewitt design winners who turned down an invitation to the White House based on their political beliefs.  

Anonymous, currently a graphic design student, posted the following yesterday:

I’m late to the game and I doubt anybody will see this, but what the heck! I am a graphic design student, and I am so tired of the graphic design profession and their ridiculous rhetoric about how they feel they have some mission to "save the world" and do all of these "socially responsible" pieces. What a load of crap. I am not taking design classes to be a political activist. I am not taking design classes to save the world. I am taking design classes because it is something that greatly interests me in many different ways. Everybody has their political points of view, and that’s great. But I am so tired of the "graphic arts community" trying to shove their politics and agendas down my throat. I fully understand now why it’s called a "liberal arts" program…

I have my own thoughts on these statements, and I’ll be happy to share them.  I’d like to see a few others respond first, though, before I color those responses with my opinions.  So please, comment away… 

Do you think that graphic artists have a responsibility to society?  If so, what form does it take…political?  Environmental?  Is this something that’s being taught in school, or is it something that happens afterwards?  Can you be a successful graphic designer without taking a stand?

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, design school, graphic design, cooper-hewitt, national design awards, white house, politics, social responsibility

Is this "advertising" really? I’m not sure we can call it that when the ad becomes the show itself, as this brilliant pre-movie promotion, created by David over at Brand Experience Lab, obviously did. And you’ve got to give big props to the MSNBC for having the guts to get out there and try something new with this communal interactive game, called Newsbreaker.

Watch the video here, or read about it here.

In September 2003 the news went out nationwide: "Karlsplatz, one of Vienna’s main squares, is soon to be renamed Nikeplatz. Apart from the new name, it appears that a huge monument in the shape of Nike’s famous “Swoosh” logo will be built in Nikeplatz." Needless to say, it was all fake. The one-month campaign provoked the reactions of Vienna’s citizens, city officials and, of course, the Nike group, which denied any involvement and started legal action to put an end to the bizarre performance. This almost unbelievable prank is the work of the artist duo known  as 0100101110101101.ORG, who this time tricked an entire city: Vienna.

Wow.  Talk about a moment for a brand to make a decision.  Nike filed a formal injunction against the organization who, in turn, ignored said injunction.  In the end…Nike folded and allowed the demonstration to continue to its conclusion.  The real question:  does Nike placate alarmed citizens by trying to squash the demonstration, or do they embrace it as a moment of brand strength?  They chose to try to squash it (and failed).  Maybe the middle ground is the best answer?

Read more here.

[via]
 

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, nike, marketing, advertising, 0100101110101101.ORG

Last Monday, Coke launched their first attempt at endearing themselves to the Second Life community, through a program created by Joseph Jaffe’s Crayon called Virtual Thirst: Coke+Alt+Refresh. Shockingly enough, they didn’t build some huge island, a mecca to the Coke brand, as has been pretty much the status quo so far with these virtual world branding attempts. Of course, after all the hoopla, what’s usually left is an open building with no one in it.

These guys actually took the time to bring in existing members to help shape the effort. As Jaffe said, "Instead of purchasing an Island and creating a grandiose edifice of
brash self-congratulation, this was a lot more understated and ground
up. I use the analogy of planting a seed and with the right amount of
nurturing, maintenance, light, water etc (you get it), something
special sprouts up…"

Basically, the idea is to encourage 2lifers to create some sort of machine that vends the experience of quenching a virtual thirst. As Jaffe describes it, "Virtual Thirst is about interpreting anything along the continuum of
"the metaphorical quenching of thirst" to expressing the essence of the
Coke brand and what it means to you. In this particular case, Second
Life became the perfect way to bring unfettered creativity and
limitless imagination to life."

I’ll be curious to see how it all shakes out, and what exactly their measurement of success is. Either way, we’ve got a big congratulations to Crayon for officially getting their ball rolling…

Below is one of the initial prototypes.

I’ve just noticed that Jaffe is putting together a March Madness bracket for blogs.  And BMA has been included in the list of contenders!  That’s awesomely exciting!  The other blogs included for consideration are:

1. Logic + Emotion - http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion/
2. Russel Davies - http://russelldavies.typepad.com/
3. "Why Business People Speak Like Idiots" - http://www.fightthebull.com/blog/
4. "Eggs, Bacon, Chips & Beans" - http://russelldavies.typepad.com/eggbaconchipsandbeans/
5. Seth Godin - http://sethgodin.typepad.com/
6. Jaffe Juice - http://feeds.feedburner.com/jaffejuice
7. Cool Hunting – http://www.coolhunting.com/
8. NussbaumOnDesign - ???
9. Beyond Madison Avenue - http://www.beyondmadisonavenue.com/
10. Wired – http://blog.wired.com/
11. Adverlab – http://adverlab.blogspot.com/
12. BrandAutopsy - http://brandautopsy.typepad.com/
13. Gaping Void - http://www.gapingvoid.com/
14. Hello_World - http://missinglink.typepad.com/hello_world/
15. Mark Cuban - http://www.blogmaverick.com/
16. SpringWise - http://www.springwise.com/
17. PSFK - http://www.psfk.com
18. Adliterate by Richard Huntington - http://www.adliterate.com/
19. http://servantofchaos.typepad.com/
20. http://conversationagent.typepad.com/
21. http://blog.creativethink.com/
22. http://www.scottweisbrod.com/index.php/
23. http://www.micropersuasion.com
24. http://www.toprankblog.com
25. http://www.pronetadvertising.com
26. Where’s The Sausage - http://wheresthesausage.typepad.com/
27. Branding Strategy Insider - http://www.brandingstrategyinsider.com/
28. http://www.ck-blog.com/
29. http://powrightbetweentheeyes.typepad.com/
30. Church of the Consumer - http://www.churchofthecustomer.com/blog/
31. Modern Life is Rubbish - http://www.modernlifeisrubbish.co.uk/
32. radical Trust - http://www.radicaltrust.ca

I’m not sure what the system will be for narrowing these down to the final four (or will it be five?), but we certainly appreciate being included!

Technorati Tags: beyond madison avenue, march blogness, jaffe, blogosphere, ad blogs

 

A few days ago, YouTube announced they will share profits with their users. As a result, The Daily Reel sat down with two LonelyGirl15 creators, Miles Beckett and Greg Goodfried. The guys offered their insight on the biggest news to ever come out of the user created content sector. Not surprisingly, they are a little unsure as to how YouTube is going to actually pay their users. They also wondered what steps YouTube will take to deal with copyrighted material and music. Some good points are brought up in the interview so check out The Daily Reel for the full story.  Who knows, maybe that guy from Flea Market Montogomery, "It’s just like a mini-mall," will get a check from YouTube and buy another yellow suit.

Technorati Tags: User Created Content, YouTube, LonelyGirl15, The Daily Reel

 

Well, I guess it would have to be Times Square.  David over at Ironic Sans wondered what it would be like to see all of Times Square’s ads piled onto one page.  So he went out and collected them all.  Here are just a few: