Doritos - Crash The Superbowl

Doritos has been running their Crash The Superbowl contest for the past five years.  It's a great example of brand building using user generated content.  For those who aren't familiar with the contest...Doritos invites the general public to create and submit their own user generated ads.  The  winning spots are then aired in a coveted 30-second Superbowl spot.  The resulting submissions were surprisingly good, for example here is last year's winner.

The contest has been increasingly successful.  In 2011 Doritos saw video submissions for the contest increase 38% to 5,600.  The contest finalists' videos were viewed 22 million times. Doritos also saw a 30% increase in Twitter activity and a 25% increase in Facebook activity during the contest.

That's all well and good, but after five years Doritos recognized that the concept, while fundamentally strong, is getting a bit stale.  So for 2012 they've introduced a twist.  This year's Crash The Superbowl contest will be between the best user created Super Bowl spot and a Doritos spot to be created by The Lonely Island, the comedy group/production team made up of Saturday Night Live stars.  These are the guys responsible for such hits as Dick In A Box & I'm On A Boat, as well as a ton of other SNL digital shorts.  In addition to seeing their spot aired during the Superbowl, the creator of the user generated spot will also have the opportunity to win $1 million and a gig working with The Lonely Island on creating a future spot.  So here's how it works.  During the Superbowl USA Today runs real-time consumer testing called Ad Meter.  If the consumer-generated ad wins the ad meter, the creator wins $1 million. If the ad by The Lonely Island, wins then they will donate the $1 million prize to charity.

On a completely separate note, Arch West, the inventor of Doritos recently passed away.  His family plan plan on scattering Doritos in his grave rather than roses.  I kid you not.

Supporting Articles: AdWeek | Forbes

Youtube - The Future Of Your Brand

This campaign comes out of Italy and was developed by TBWA Italy on behalf of Youtube marketing team.  It aims to show how Youtube builds brands and what the different options are for advertisers on Youtube. Rather than just run through a dry list of ad formats, this Youtube execution takes users through a customizable experience showing the options for advertising in an interactive manner.  Everything from homepage advertising via the masthead to promoted videos on search results down to pre-rolls against relevant content as well as brand channel executions.  Users can choose a pre-existing brand or create their own to see what the future of their brand on Youtube would look like.  Very nicely done.  Check it out for yourself here.

Lynx - Hot News Girl

Lynx continues to push the boundaries on Youtube.  We've seen the Tippex-like Lucy Pinder Youtube execution that ran a few months ago as well as their video explanations of Rugby rules using scantily clad models.  Now they've discovered keyboard shortcuts for scrubbing Youtube videos.  In the above video, Razorfish has created what on first glance appears to be an  innocent outtake video with an attractive news reporter.  However, using shortcuts users can have a bit of a different experience.  As the video says:

'Play this video, click on the timeline and press 5 7 3 8 to get the Lynx Effect'

I'll leave you to play around with it (no pun intended).  Say what you will, but Lynx isn't shy about going after their target audience in ways that are sure to appeal to them.

Supporting Articles: Buzzfeed | Copyranter

BONUS: Rebecca Black Telstra Sponsorship

As part of their new 'The Fun Has Just Begun' campaign, Telstra has signed up Rebecca Black as a celebrity endorser (methinks they might want to increase the $$$ in their "brand ambassador" fund).  They brought her down to Sydney to do a series of live performances of smash hit Friday.  So in case you couldn't get enough of the original video, you can see a mashup of her performances above.  But wait, what if you're not content with the 48 second video from Telstra!?  Thankfully a dedicated fan has posted the full length 5 minute live version of Friday which you can find here.

In all seriousness, considering the abuse that's been lumped on this poor girl, it's good to see her getting some endorsement deals before her 15 minutes of fame are up.  Partyin', Partyin' YEAH!


Supporting Articles: Brand Channel | Herald Sun

Dodge Journey

Dodge has created what they call 'the first search engine for the real world,' the new Dodge Journey crossover. In order to get people off the web and into the real world, they've hidden three of the new Journeys somewhere in America (one each in somewhere on the West Coast, Midwest, & East Coast.  The premise is simple...if you can find it, you can keep it.

The campaign was created by Wieden+Kennedy and kicked off with this commercial, as well as additional commercials for each region where a Journey was hidden.

Clues are given to participants via videos on their Youtube channel and the region specific TV spots for each hidden Journey.  The channel also includes a nice social stream integration, allowing participants to share clues and see official/messages from Dodge.  Each video clue also highlight specific features of the journey and includes other product messaging.  While the idea of a scavenger hunt is nothing new, I can't recall seeing a similar online/offline blend in a campaign prior to this.  Really nicely done.

The first two have been found, with the next set of clues to be revealed for the Dodge Journey hidden somewhere on the East Coast on September 24th.  Check out the Youtube channel here.

Supporting Articles: AdWeek | Creativity | AgencySpy

  

T-Mobile - The Parking Ticket

T-mobile is back with another great spot, the latest in a long string of hits created by Saatchi & Saatchi.  The Parking Ticket was developed to support of the launch of T-Mobile’s new plan 'You Fix', which T-Mobile says is ideal for customers who want to control their mobile phone expenditure.  The two-minute spot debuted this past Friday on Channel5 and is now live on Youtube with an updated channel to promote the new plans.  The tagline around the campaign is 'Nobody Likes Nasty Surprises.'  What better way to illustrate that idea than enlisting fake traffic wardens to unreasonably give out tickets to unsuspecting drivers, all the while documenting every interaction by hidden camera (not unlike the NAB Honesty Experiments).  Drivers then discovered that the authentic looking yellow parking tickets actually contain a £5, £10 £20 or £50 note and a good day message from T-mobile.

Check out the spot and the updated Youtube channel here (as well as a nice use of external annotations at the end of the video driving interested users to either Facebook, the You Fix page, or Twitter).

Supporting Articles: The Drum | Campaign | Daily Mirror

ByTuren - Is It Time To Get Home?

Rough night out drinking?  Ever wonder what really happened on an ugly night out?  Maybe it's time to get home.  That's the hilarious message in this campaign by Bocca for Danish night bus company, Movia.   The interactive video, multi-layered video (sort of like the campaign a year ago from Nokia France) aims to show the difference between the perception and reality of a night out.  Move your mouse over the movie to see what the characters think they look like vs. the reality of being a drunken idiot.  Hilarious stuff, though it makes me terrified of what happens when life-logging devices inevitably make their way to market in a few years.  Too bad this was done on a campaign site rather than a Youtube channel, but that could be because Denmark has not yet launched for advertisers.



Check out the campaign site here.

Supporting Articles: It's Nice That | Creativity | Adverblog

The Museum Of Obsolete Objects

Sadly, as our daily lives become more and more digital some things fall by the way side as they are replaced by newer, «better» devices.  Let us not forget those fallen appliances, tools and gadgets and relive those bygone times by taking a visit to The Museum of Obsolete Objects. Step inside to step back in time!


That's the message presented by creative agency, Jung Von Matt, in the intro to the Museum Of Obsolete Objects.  The Youtube channel is both a shrine to gadgets of yesteryear and an impressive showcase of the agency's considerable talents.  So have a play around, slide the timeline and click on an object to see a video history/explanation, or suggest an object of your own to be added into the museum.

Check out the Museum Of Obsolete Objects Youtube channel here.

Supporting Articles: The Atlantic | TNW

Heineken Legendary Football

Wieden+Kennedy has launched the Heineken Legendary Football campaign to promote Heineken's association with the upcoming UEFA champions league season.


The films aim to showcase how the UEFA Champions League, the world's most prestigious and high-profile club competition, and Heineken, the world's leading premium beer brand, combine to create spectacular artistry that fans around the world can enjoy.

The campaign is centered around two films featuring Champions League legends Gianluigi Buffon, Rene Adler, Patrick Vieira, Clarence Seedorf and Ruud van Nistelrooy, who have chalked up 350 combined UEFA champions league matches.

The most high-profile edits of the films are two 30’ television advertisements, supported by a series of break ‘bumpers’ that will be broadcast in over 180 countries worldwide. The ‘Opera’, the first of the two endorsements, revolves around a compelling moment as Seedorf lines up to take a shot at Buffon, filmed in the stunning setting of a beautiful European opera house. The second video, ‘Pantheon’, takes place in the more historical, spectacular setting of an ancient Roman gladiatorial ring, where Vieira and Van Nistelrooy compete to win a header at Adler’s goal.


In a nice touch, the Youtube video features annotations interspersed throughout, creating an interactive, rather than linear, way for fans to experience and explore the the spots, bumpers and additional content.



Of course, the real digital activation is around the Cannes Lion winning Heineken Star Player mobile/Facebook app that will be available for all UEFA Champions League matches this season.

Supporting Articles: PopSop | Brand Channel | Adverblog

Chipotle - Back To The Start

Chipotle is a Mexican food chain that believes in food with integrity and focuses much of their messaging on their commitment to sustainable agriculture and quality sourcing of ingredients.  But how do you get the public interested the evils of industrial agriculture and the benefits of organic farming?  In this case, they've teamed up with country legend Willie Nelson and Irish animator Johnny Kelly to produce a beautiful animated video that showcases Nelson covering Coldplay's 'The Scientist.'

The video, called 'Back to the Start,' tells the story of a family farmer who decides to change his farm to an industrial animal factory.  After disastrous results he has a change of heart and goes back to being an organic farmer, freeing his herds of animals and recreating his farm.

It's a match made in heaven as Nelson is the president of Farm Aid and has long supported farmers and sustainable agriculture.  'We produced this film to help illustrate the choices people face in deciding what to eat, and hope that it will encourage people to choose food that is raised with respect for the land, the animals, and the farmers that produce it,' said Steve Ells, Chipotle’s founder.  Chipotle has aso established the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation to commit itself to creating a more sustainable and healthier food supply, raising awareness about food issues.  Nelson's cover of Coldplay's song is also be available on iTunes, with $.60 of each purchase going towards the Foundation.

Additionally the video is being shown in 5,700 movie theaters starting in September, to promote the ideals of the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation.

UPDATE: Chipotle has published a really nice behind-the-scenes video on the making of 'Back To The Start' here.

Supporting Articles: Creativity | Brand Channel | Globe & Mail