YOU COULD WIN TWITTER!

Not sure why I said that, just felt like it after seeing Mercedes-Benz use Facebook to promote a Tweet contest. Integration! Except, for the brand concerned about attention to detail (I worked on them in the past), the curly Q quotes on “Like” scream type noob. Amazing what a digital age still doesn’t know. Yeah, I know, amazing what people like me still care about. So let me throw some more confusion out: You have to like them to find out more information about this amazing Cannonball Twitter run, but like most contests, the rules say no purchase required to enter. But... I won’t enter until I find out more. In other words, if the proverbial *we* have now assigned a value to likes and followers, then my giving up a like has some value to the brand. (Otherwise, why would they be asking for it?) By doing so though, they’ve unknowingly lumped that value in with the idea of purchase. They’re not the first brand to apply old school sweepstakes thinking to social networks, but for a brand focused on details, it’s one that highlights a lack of seamless integration.

Red Bull gives you... ad contests on LinkedIn?

Yep, that’s right. Just shout it out when you know them. I stopped posting YouTube contests from brands but now LinkedIn is joining the fun. Which, is unfortunate. I’d always viewed it as the one place that was free from the visual noise of the other sites. You weren't hit up to donate a plant or seek out Zandor among a group of Mafia Vampires. It was focused on business and professional networking. I’m sure they have bills to pay, but the ads I’m seeing lately could be a sign that LinkedIn will turn into another community site people complain about sooner rather than later. Which is a helluva long set-up for the contest Red Bull is running to create one of their ads. Enjoy, and good luck!

Because realtors have, you know, ethics.

Okay, watching this makes me want to hit something. Hopefully any brand thinking about a YouTube contest will see this and take heed. Proving once again that you can throw any amount of money at YouTube Nation to get them to vote on stuff, Century 21 tries its hand at the contest thing. (After all the home improvement shows that have come out, why would you not run this contest when they first came out?) Anyway, enter now! Except, if you live in one of several states where it’s void. Oh, and forget it unless your house is listed with them. Wait, not so fast, did I mention you also have to have the listing agent in the video with you? I just did. (And unless she’s this good on camera, forget it.) Otherwise, have at it rock star realtors!

(And because YT contests are spawning 24/7 and eating up space, I am no longer listing them. For previous ones, just click the label below—if you dare.)

Tags: Century 21

Ikea brings in the noise without the funk.

So the idea is to annoy as many people into entering? Nice idea for Ikea winners to grab all they can in a minute, but Stomp this ain’t.

Previous YouTube contest fun:
1) Hanes. 2) Axe. 3) Novartis. 4) McDonald’s. 5) Tiger Balm. 6) Miss Horrorfest 2007.
7) Nesquik. 8) Puma. 9) LG. 10) Lions For Lambs. 11) Samsung. 12) Casio. 13) Swiffer.
14) Turbo Tax. 15) Nature’s Valley 16) Sprite. 17) Tide. 18) Gillette.

Tags: Ikea Kitchen Rhythm

Hey, 15 blade phenom freaks.

Gillette and Tiger Woods are looking for phenoms with talent. (Are there any other kind.) Can you hold your breath for an hour? Can you run 40 miles an hour? Do you like to wrestle sharks? Well, upload that video. Oh, and include a ball with it or something. Look on the bright side—they finally got Tiger out of that damn Buick.

Previous YouTube prize fun:
1) Hanes. 2) Axe. 3) Novartis. 4) McDonald’s. 5) Tiger Balm. 6) Miss Horrorfest 2007.
7) Nesquik. 8) Puma. 9) LG. 10) Lions For Lambs. 11) Samsung. 12) Casio. 13) Swiffer.
14) Turbo Tax. 15) Nature’s Valley 16) Sprite. 17) Tide.

Tags: Gillette Phenom

Make your own Tide to Go commercial.

Upload it yourselfers, just go here for details and your spot might be seen on TV! Geez, already? This may be the first national brand to react so quickly to the popularity of its own spot. The UCG component is once again controlled as you are strongly encouraged to only use their media, taglines, etc. The other thing is that while I dig the effort to capitalize on the moment, a reaction or spoof like this has to happen naturally—you can’t force it. Don’t Tase Britney Alone or a Tom Cruise spoof happen when you least expect them.

It’ll get hits though. Who doesn’t like talking stains.

Previous YouTube prize fun:
1) Hanes. 2) Axe. 3) Novartis. 4) McDonald’s. 5) Tiger Balm. 6) Miss Horrorfest 2007. 7) Nesquik. 8) Puma. 9) LG. 10) Lions For Lambs. 11) Samsung. 12) Casio. 13) Swiffer. 14) Turbo Tax. 15) Nature’s Valley 16.) Sprite.

Tags: Tide to Go

Sprite’s user generated slam.

(UPDATE: Link fixed.) If he likes it, Rudy Gay will perform the winning dunk submitted from You Tube Nation in Sprite’s 2008 Slam Dunk Competition. (Good thing the NBA at least let Sprite get their name in the title because there’s no other branding to be seen.) Remember, because it’s ‘consumer generated’ and all, you’re not allowed to do anything remotely interesting or use any props that real NBA ballers will use in the contest.

Previous YouTube prize fun:
1) Hanes. 2) Axe. 3) Novartis. 4) McDonald’s. 5) Tiger Balm. 6) Miss Horrorfest 2007. 7) Nesquik. 8) Puma. 9) LG. 10) Lions For Lambs. 11) Samsung. 12) Casio. 13) Swiffer. 14) Turbo Tax.

Tags: Rudy Gay Sprite Slam Dunk Competition

Nature’s Valley’s turn.

With the YouTube contest thing. Okay already. I submit. Do I win now? $61,000. $22,000. $12,000. Somewhere along the way the brief for the contest page must’ve said “Add dollar amounts, no matter what they are—people like that.” I’m not bagging on it, the page is well done and all; it has nice prizes too. The cost will probably end being a small amount for building awareness over a few months, especially compared with running this on TV. Wonder though if this as far as brands will end up pushing YouTube.

Most seem to be now taking the usual offline sweepstakes promotions they’ve always run and putting them online—ask for clips from viewers that match a given theme and there you go. There’s nothing really cool being done with the Youtube experience in general, not just here. Basically, they’re treating YouTube as a hard drive to store videos. Viewers can’t even vote on them—a panel of agency and brand people do. Opportunity missed to really involve customers with the brand.

Tags: Nature’s Valley

TurboTax only has $10,000 for this year’s contest.

“Two accountants walk into a bar.” What, you heard this one? Okay, well, then go write your own 3-minute routine, upload it, and you might win ten large–and get to open for Jay Mohr. Don’t worry, he’s judging the entries so anyone funnier than him ain’t making the cut. (Vanilla Ice I can see, but Jay Mohr? Judging by the comments, he’s taking a lot of shit, but I always liked him in a Jeremy Piven/Jeannine Garofalo smartass kind of way.) Next year TurboTax, sign Dice Clay: “Hickery dickery dock, F**@~!?**, F@#!* H&R Block. OOOOOOOOOOH!” Anyway, you have a month. Go be funny YouTube nation. (And please, anyone else running a contest, stop with the three different contest pages. One is enough.)

Previous YouTube prize fun:
1) Hanes. 2) Axe. 3) Novartis. 4) McDonald’s. 5) Tiger Balm. 6) Miss Horrorfest 2007. 7) Nesquik. 8) Puma. 9) LG. 10) Lions For Lambs. 11) Samsung. 12) Casio. 13) Swiffer.

Tags: Jay Mohr, TurboTax

Aretha Franklin cleans your house in Swiffer contest.

Spoke too soon. Here’s yet another contest, this time for Swiffer.

And I am being kind by leaving it at that.

1-800-Flowers does the YouTube contest thing.

The list grows. A friend sent in this 1-800 FLOWERS campaign about sharing great love stories. (Full background here and the actual YouTube page here.) It’s not populated with a lot of clips yet since it recently launched, so can’t really compare that part of it to anything. In general though, two things I noticed. First, it has everything in one place; you don’t have to step off to five other pages. Secondly, unlike all the rest in the list below, this is the first contest page I’ve seen that doesn’t put the lure of a prize front and center as blatantly as the others. In fact, I’m not sure what you win. I suspect that since people have become used to expecting something for uploading a piece of their personal life, this might be an issue, or it might not. Maybe the satisfaction of seeing 20,000 views next to their clips is enough of a draw.

Previous YouTube prize fun:
1) Hanes.
2) Axe.
3) Novartis.
4) McDonald’s.
5) Tiger Balm.
6) Miss Horrorfest 2007.
7) Nesquik.
8) Puma.
9) LG.
10) Lions For Lambs.
11) Samsung.
12) Casio.

Casio says hold up, what about OUR YouTube contest?

I just wanted a weekend off. Wasn’t too much to ask, right? But no, I have to come across another freaking YT contest. To promote their YouTube compatable line of cameras, Casio wants to see your technology digs, good bad or fugly. But $3,000 though? C’mon. Pony up a little more than that. LG did. Lot of Tarantino wannabes out there need cash to finish their dark, brooding but cool-as-hell short films.

As for MTLB/YouTube nation, you know what to do by now. Shoot. Upload. Vote. Casio makes it a breeze! (They did not pay me to say that, I swear.) What’s more fun though is trying to decipher just what the spokesperson’s saying in the promo clip. Towards the end, sounds like...Master-PC-ba-whaaa? (I’d also include a more direct url to the contest page from that clip, like maybe, “Enter contest here” but then I like dumbed down stuff.)

Previous YouTube prize fun:
1) Hanes.
2) Axe.
3) Novartis.
4) McDonald’s.
5) Tiger Balm.
6) Miss Horrorfest 2007.
7) Nesquik.
8) Puma.
9) LG.
10) Lions For Lambs.
11) Samsung.

Samsung channels Foreigner for another YouTube contest.

I’ve been looking too hard, I’ve waiting too long. Sometimes I don’t know what I will find. I only know it’s a matter of time, for a contest like this. To promote their new Juke, Samsung wants you to, uh, make a video, and then upload it. On YouTube, And, get this–you get people to vote on it. No, I’m not kidding. They actually have to see if they like it. On YouTube. Never saw that before. What a cool use of a shiny new technology. Oh, and the TV spots, on national primetime TV during Sunday Night Football? No url to the contest or nary a mention. Why waste the opportunity? They never take advice. Someday they’ll pay the price. I know.

Previous YouTube prize fun:
1) Hanes.
2) Axe.
3) Novartis.
4) McDonald’s.
5) Tiger Balm.
6) Miss Horrorfest 2007.
7) Nesquik.
8) Puma.
9) LG.
10) Lions For Lambs.

They are just GIVING money away on YouTube, huh.

Did someone say more YouTube contests?

- Smell like a Puma, or tell them what gets you going, I think.
- LG wants you to have 18K. Not 19 or 17, but 18.
- Tom Cruise doesn’t know what you stand for.

Previous YouTube prize fun:
1) Hanes.
2) Axe.
3) Novartis.
4) McDonald’s.
5) Tiger Balm.
6) Miss Horrorfest 2007.
7) Nesquik.

Only you can prevent unwanted condom designs.

By designing something people like. One brand condoms is looking for design submissions for 2008 for their condom packging. Deadline is Dec.31st. Enter now. (Ouch.) Speaking of clichés, dig a little deeper than a White House series please: logo over Bush, Cheney, etc., ho-hum. Next.)

Tags: One condoms

Okay armchair Spielbergs, YouTube wants your backyard mishaps.

“Hello. My name’s Jason Reitman. HP is sponsoring this contest. If you wi...”
CUT. From the top please.
“Hi, I’m Jason Reitman and I’m here to te...”
CUT. Again please.
“Hey guys, my name’s Jason Reitman. Wanna hang with real filmmakers like me and listen to my dad’s Bill Murray stories?”
CUT.
“FUCK! What was wrong with that one? Okay. Gimmee a sec ... motivation, motivation. Okay. I’m good. Let’s go!”
“Hi. Check out another YouTube contest. Thanks.”
CUT. That’s a Wrap. Nice job Jason.

Previous YouTube prize fun:
1) Hanes.
2) Axe.
3) Novartis.
4) McDonald’s.
5) Tiger Balm.
6) Miss Horrorfest 2007.

Tags: HP, Project:Direct

Hot chicks covered in real fake blood.

Figured that was a better title than “Be the next Queen of Scream.” As for YouTube contests, spoke too soon. There’s one more: Miss Horrorfest 2007. It’s really just a continuation of the same contest the 8 Films To Die For festival has been running from last year, but hey, $50,000 is $50,000. If you’re female. And hot. And covered in blood. Otherwise, go spray some Nesquik on something and enter that contest.

Tags: 8 Films To Die For, Miss Horrorfest 2007

Nestlé wants you to shake that shit up yo.

Okay, if no one else wants it, I’ll be the Official YouTube Consumer-Generated Contest Sweepstakes Prize Thing blog. So now Nestlé is dipping their toes in the loser-generated waters with a graf-inspired promo for their contest. Edgy! Look at Nestlé gettin all street n shit. So shake something you own, attach a Nesquik logo to it, and then win cash. (Maybe I could duct tape a bottle to a .50 cal from the earlier gun video.)


Previous YouTube prize fun:
1) Hanes.
2) Axe.
3) Novartis.
4) McDonald’s.
5) Tiger Balm.

Tags: Nestlé, Nesquik

Hanes Quest For Comfort.

Over on iFilm, Hanes and SPike TV want you to upload a video in their Quest For Comfort contest about how Hanes makes you comfortable. Did you say cash? I sure did, try $5,ooo big ones. Judging from the rules though, good luck making anything creative. I know brands are leary of the type of submissions they’ll get from the public, but the myth of ‘consumer’ generated content will continue until people have freedom to do what they want with the brand in contests like this. (On a side note, neither this or the Axe contest were mentioned at all on their respective brand’s main websites. Why would you miss a chance to get the word out like that?)

Tags: Quest For Comfort, Hanes

Get dirty with David Spade.

Ironic too, David once did a bit about a falling star on SNL. Was Paulie Shore too busy? Guess what user-gen x: make a dirty video about getting clean, then upload it, then win stuff. Check out all the fun here. (And isn’t there something just a little wrong about letterboxing an Axe spot?)

Tags: David Spade, Axe