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Super Bowl 2007: Social media kickoff

Web 2.0 'users are in control'? NO, but they can be involved if they are promoting corporate brands according to corporate specifications. Super Bowl XLI kicks off February 4, 2007, in Miami and televisions around the world will be tuned in, to watch the commercials.
Written by Donna Bogatin, Contributor

Web 2.0 “users are in control”? NO, but they can be involved if they are promoting corporate brands according to corporate specifications.

Super Bowl XLI kicks off  February 4, 2007, in Miami and televisions around the world will be tuned in, to watch the commercials.

This year’s Super Bowl of TV commercials will include a new genre vying for the hearts, minds and wallets of the world, what I call “user-involved” content. 

How do I define brand-focused “user-involved” content?

Promotional fare “created” by “users” at the behest and direction of corporate brands and designed to support the marketing and communications missions of the sponsoring corporations.

In “MySpace, Facebook, NBC: Brands rule, not users” I analyze a corporate sponsored “user-involved” brand promotion developed by NBC in conjunction with YouTube. 

I heard Beth Comstock, President, Digital Media and Market Development, NBC Universal, effuse a content power to the people message in her OMMA keynote last September.

Social media user generated content slogans put forth by Comstock:

Content is still king, but the monarchy has been overthrown

Invasion of the pronouns, all about “me”

From content produced by “big media” to content produced by “small media”

Anyone can create and deliver content

What did she present as "evidence" that "users are in control" at NBC, however? A slick, professionally produced NBC promo video promoting NBC’s YouTube contest designed to get “ordinary people” to create NBC sanctioned promo videos for NBC’s “The Office” show!

Super Bowl XLI will be the next high-profile venue for corporate sanctioned "user-involved" content.

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The NFL, Doritos and Chevrolet are soliciting user involvement in the development of commercials to air during the game.

The NFL says:

The NFL wants you! The NFL is going to make the best Super Bowl commercial ever and this is the fans’ chance to make that happen.

How does it work?

You the fans can pitch us your idea for the best Super Bowl commercial ever. The winnng pitch may be produced into a TV commercial that, if chosen, will air during Super Bowl XLI to be seen by millions of people! Plus, we’ll fly you and a friend to South Florida to watch Super Bowl XLI in person!

Doritos says:

You make it. We air it. Create your own Doritos commercial to be aired during the Superbowl XLI broadcast.

How does it work?

Think of an idea for a Doritos commercial. Maybe it's a story about the first time you tried Doritos or what life is like for the spices on the surface of the chip. Anything. Make the video you'd be excited to see if you were watching TV.
Shoot it. Submit it. If our judges place it in the top five best videos, you'll win $10,000 dollars and a trip to Miami for a private Super Bowl XLI viewing party. Then, if America votes it their favorite, your video will be aired as a real Doriots commercial on Super Bowl XLI.

Chevrolet says: 

It's only the chance of a lifetime for college students.  Most advertising professionals never get a chance to shape an ad to air during the Super Bowl.  But that's what Chevy is giving to college students.

How does it work?

We're looking for the most creative, eye-opening and memorable ideas for a 30-second TV commercial for Chevy cars. The winning teams concept will be the basis for one of Chevys 2007 Super Bowl ads. The winning students will also get to participate in the actual production of the ad.

SUPER BOWL XLI: WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING  FORWARD TO THE MOST? THE GAME, THE COMMERCIALS OR THE HALFTIME SHOW? TAKE THE POLL!

[poll id=14]

 

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