So this backs up your view that brands should just make ads and not invite participation?
While this definitely applies to some brands ie. sausages, it’s a pretty fucking outdated view that this should be the case with every product or brand. While a lot of ideas that call for user generated content are bollocks, the best ie. Volkswagen fun theory are shit smackingly good. You can apply that same ratio to ads as well.
Surely it’s not particularly outdated to suggest that people aren’t prone to participate in lame schemes or user generated content ideas for low-interest categories? Like most things, it’s really about how and why and for what you are doing it. Participation isn’t the answer for everything, nor is it the answer for nothing. But there are certainly a lot of painfully lame schemes around that imagine Joe Public’s interest levels are a lot higher than they really are.
I don’t think the letter is saying that we should only make ads, just that our campaigns should be relevant and interesting, no matter what strategy or technique we employ.
Great work Sell! Sell!, really enjoyed reading it.
I’m with Brian on the sausages debacle. An utterly ridiculous idea. If he had decided to shoot a little video and post it on their site, what would come of it? Could he win a prize? What would it be? Some sausages I should think. Great. Well worth the effort.
He had the time to write that letter so why hasn’t he got the time to put up a video and share his lovely sausage related experiences with he rest of us, that’s what I want to know.
Besides, anybody who uses the expression ‘utter bollocking shitstorm’ to describe anything works in advertising and you know it.
I think that says something even sadder: most of the general public aren’t even aware of these stupid attempts to get them to make a video in praise of Branston Pickle. It’s not even on their radar so they don’t hate it so much as not give the first shit about it.
The user generated content for VW was the ideas for environmentally friendly fun activities that people submitted to win the comp.
Some of them were pants, but some were pretty clever.
Ok, you’ve never directly come out and said it but you give the impression that you think it’s a load of cobblers and that we should just make a nice 30 sec spots and pretty print ads.
an environmentally friendly and fun way to lay layers and layers of plastic, combined with tons of electricity in order to convince people to walk up the stairs instead of using the escalators?
turn off the escalators and hey presto. same result.
Well, yes love, obviously.
But print and TV cobblers require nothing of the audience other than their brief attention or not. Whereas with participation cobblers, the whole premise is built upon the notion that normal people will be interested enough to take part. Which, quite frankly, is beyond moronic in most cases.
Kisses.
[...] at Sell, Sell, Sell; via Candace; via Ben at ITIABTWC; via Kirsy at the Whistling Duck; via Get Shouty Katie; with hat tip to Johnnie for pinging his [...]
Comments 19
So this backs up your view that brands should just make ads and not invite participation?
While this definitely applies to some brands ie. sausages, it’s a pretty fucking outdated view that this should be the case with every product or brand. While a lot of ideas that call for user generated content are bollocks, the best ie. Volkswagen fun theory are shit smackingly good. You can apply that same ratio to ads as well.
Posted 17 Aug 2010 at 5:06 am ¶It doesn’t take any extra effort to walk up a piano staircase or slide down a slide.
And is that really user generated content?
And when did I say brands should just make ads and not invite participation?
Posted 17 Aug 2010 at 7:49 am ¶Surely it’s not particularly outdated to suggest that people aren’t prone to participate in lame schemes or user generated content ideas for low-interest categories? Like most things, it’s really about how and why and for what you are doing it. Participation isn’t the answer for everything, nor is it the answer for nothing. But there are certainly a lot of painfully lame schemes around that imagine Joe Public’s interest levels are a lot higher than they really are.
Posted 17 Aug 2010 at 8:48 am ¶without watching the fun theory presentation video again. can you tell me what it was trying to say about VW?
Posted 17 Aug 2010 at 9:40 am ¶I don’t think the letter is saying that we should only make ads, just that our campaigns should be relevant and interesting, no matter what strategy or technique we employ.
Great work Sell! Sell!, really enjoyed reading it.
Posted 17 Aug 2010 at 11:15 am ¶I’m with Brian on the sausages debacle. An utterly ridiculous idea. If he had decided to shoot a little video and post it on their site, what would come of it? Could he win a prize? What would it be? Some sausages I should think. Great. Well worth the effort.
Posted 17 Aug 2010 at 11:31 am ¶Brilliant indeed. I thought about emailing it round the office. But then I remembered I like having a job.
Posted 17 Aug 2010 at 1:53 pm ¶http://bit.ly/bSbH3i
Posted 17 Aug 2010 at 7:17 pm ¶He had the time to write that letter so why hasn’t he got the time to put up a video and share his lovely sausage related experiences with he rest of us, that’s what I want to know.
Besides, anybody who uses the expression ‘utter bollocking shitstorm’ to describe anything works in advertising and you know it.
Posted 18 Aug 2010 at 12:24 pm ¶Uh…yeah.
Did anyone actually think this was a real letter?
I think that says something even sadder: most of the general public aren’t even aware of these stupid attempts to get them to make a video in praise of Branston Pickle. It’s not even on their radar so they don’t hate it so much as not give the first shit about it.
Posted 18 Aug 2010 at 1:57 pm ¶Right on Damo – he’ll write a follow up next, commenting on how he wants to shit on his own arms. Dead giveaway.
Posted 18 Aug 2010 at 1:58 pm ¶A shit load of people tried to make an ad for doritos recently but I guess they were mainly ad grads etc.
Posted 18 Aug 2010 at 2:25 pm ¶Damo, I think you’re right. There’s a chance this might not even be a real letter from a member of the public.
Posted 18 Aug 2010 at 3:37 pm ¶Ok, maybe that was a bit dim of me. The worst part is I was really proud of myself for exposing this charlatan.
Posted 18 Aug 2010 at 6:10 pm ¶Ben
The user generated content for VW was the ideas for environmentally friendly fun activities that people submitted to win the comp.
Some of them were pants, but some were pretty clever.
Ok, you’ve never directly come out and said it but you give the impression that you think it’s a load of cobblers and that we should just make a nice 30 sec spots and pretty print ads.
Posted 19 Aug 2010 at 1:36 am ¶For the record I think most of them (around 99%) are dumb, misguided, fuckbrained cobblers.
The good 1% is something I welcome into my heart.
Posted 19 Aug 2010 at 7:35 am ¶STFU
an environmentally friendly and fun way to lay layers and layers of plastic, combined with tons of electricity in order to convince people to walk up the stairs instead of using the escalators?
turn off the escalators and hey presto. same result.
sometimes we’re too wanky for our own good.
Posted 19 Aug 2010 at 9:41 am ¶‘For the record I think most of them (around 99%) are dumb, misguided, fuckbrained cobblers.
The good 1% is something I welcome into my heart.’
Just like tv/print ads then?
Posted 19 Aug 2010 at 11:18 am ¶@tonimoroni
Well, yes love, obviously.
Posted 19 Aug 2010 at 12:45 pm ¶But print and TV cobblers require nothing of the audience other than their brief attention or not. Whereas with participation cobblers, the whole premise is built upon the notion that normal people will be interested enough to take part. Which, quite frankly, is beyond moronic in most cases.
Kisses.
Trackbacks & Pingbacks 1
[...] at Sell, Sell, Sell; via Candace; via Ben at ITIABTWC; via Kirsy at the Whistling Duck; via Get Shouty Katie; with hat tip to Johnnie for pinging his [...]
Post a Comment