Make Marketing History

The views of a marketing deviant.

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Wake Up And Smell The UGC.

Four weeks ago, an 18 year old English student in his first year at Leeds University put a video on YouTube.

Three weeks ago, the second person to leave a comment wrote "wow you should send that to apple. you can make so much money if they air that!!!"

Tomorrow, a professionally produced version will be shown during NFL games, Desperate Housewives and the World Series.

Do you still think user-generated content is a joke?

11 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

The most interesting thing about this ad is that it was originally made by an 18-year old from Leeds. It's not that great of an ad, but it's a great back-story. No one would have cared about it if Chiat had created it.

There would have been value in Chiat bringing this ad (and the idea of having the back-story) to Apple. They didn't, and Apple is probably thinking uneasy thoughts.

7:16 AM, October 29, 2007  
Blogger lauren said...

i don't think UGC is a joke, but i'm pretty unimpressed with that ad, i can tell you.

7:44 AM, October 29, 2007  
Blogger Rob Mortimer (aka Famous Rob) said...

UGC has never been a joke, only the people who overhyped it as the saviour of adland.

Its a nice idea, but nothing amazing.

8:55 AM, October 29, 2007  
Blogger john dodds said...

Many people consider it a joke Rob, just like they consider blogs to be irrelevant online diaries and Wikipedia to be useless. That said, I wasn't claiming it was a good ad Lauren - just a significant one.

11:55 AM, October 29, 2007  
Blogger Rob Mortimer (aka Famous Rob) said...

Those people are the ones being left behind. They are the ones who are just getting Myspace accounts now everyone else is on Facebook.

People in adland who write off UGC are generally people who feel threatened by it instead of understanding what it can do for their campaigns. Just like those who wax lyrical on it are those who are jumping waaay overboard.

UGC is just like everything else, used properly it works; used badly and too often, and it fails.

4:32 PM, October 29, 2007  
Blogger Charles Edward Frith said...

Can we call it indigenous content please?

Its just a start but as we flex our creative muscles indigenous content like this will get better and better.

I'll put money on it.

4:34 AM, October 30, 2007  
Blogger Rob Mortimer (aka Famous Rob) said...

I agree.
Instead of your competition entries, they will start to attract (like this guy) aspiring creatives.

As long as we all understand its not going to change the world, just make a few good ads!

5:35 AM, October 30, 2007  
Blogger lauren said...

indigenous content charles??? like it was the first one on the planet? puh-lease...

you're right doddsy, not great, but significant. and a good myth always helps too.

4:46 PM, October 30, 2007  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The ad was a good product demonstration... nothing new but as Matt said what makes it interesting is the story, created by 18 yr old @ Leeds Uni then developed by apple etc.

That's great content and enriches the communications. As previously stated if an agency had done it, it's a so what, nice slick etc. but that's about it. That the richness of the story can be used in media and gets talked about in the online world is what makes it interesting. UGC is going to be more important going forward but how important depends on to many variables to understand and predict at present.

5:06 AM, October 31, 2007  
Blogger john dodds said...

Good toi see Lauren is picking on Charles as well as me!

12:09 PM, November 01, 2007  
Blogger Charles Edward Frith said...

Indigenous content. Created by the natives for the natives Lauren.

Now get back to your pallette and stick to colours 'n crayon :P

1:41 AM, November 02, 2007  

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