Media Mindfulness

It has been said that the Super Bowl is capitalism’s May Day Parade when all the wares, gadgets and tricks of the system go on display. Indeed, it is the one annual event that people actually watch for the commercials. Not surprisingly, keeping lockstep with the latest consumer trends, the NFL launched a contest for fans to produce their own ads. Welcome to the age of the “prosumer.” One of the most interesting trends of the new network economy is that we are becoming the consumers and producers simultaneously, the commercial system becoming the facilitator (and user) of our creative energy. I’m not here to say whether it’s good or bad, but I’m always a fan of more local control over content. So on the surface this may seem like a false kind of empowerment, but it may also signify that audiences are bored with Madison Ave and the global elite who in the past made our culture for us. If this is any indication that we are starting to compost the advertising world, I’m all for it.

Super Bowl marketers turn to amateurs - Business of Super Bowl - MSNBC.com:

More than 1,700 people eventually pitched their ideas for an NFL ad, including everyone from wannabe advertising executives to ordinary football fans. The live audition process turned out to be a marketing tool in its own right, drawing local and national press in addition to the fans.

Still, Baird insisted the ad pitch contest isn’t just a gimmick.

“It’s clearly more than a fad and more than a way to get PR,” she said. “Here’s a very viable way to create authentic, sincere stories about your brand.”

Technorati Tags: prosumer, SuperBowlAds