PepsiCo and Instagram team up for SxSW

Instagram, my favorite photo-sharing app on the iPhone, just teamed up with PepsiCo for a South by Southwest promo called Brisk Pics.

Users have been submitting their best photos to Instagram with the hashtag #briskpic, hoping to get their creation featured on a limited-edition ice tea can. Here's my submission.

Here is a picture of the can you'll see in Austin:

I had a chance to chat with Jamal Henderson from the Brisk team. Here's our commentary:

Why did you decide to use Instagram for this promotion?

Brisk is always looking for new ways to connect with consumers and the digital space provides a lot of great opportunities. Earlier this year we had great success with programs with Foursquare and Stickybits.

Instagram has struck a chord with consumers; we were fans and we knew it would be a great platform to engage with Brisk fans. We wanted to invite all of our consumers into that collaboration and we also wanted to do something innovative around SxSW Interactive; Instagram's new hashtag functionality was the perfect solution.

We are able to invite Brisk fans to share their vision and then see the results of their collaboration come to life at SxSWi. We could never have implemented a program like this without a technology like Instagram. We also wanted to pay tribute to South by Southwest, which is all about cutting-edge technology. PepsiCo views SxSW as a strategic event and many of our brands, including Brisk, participate.

What criteria did the judges use to pick the winner?

We've been looking for submissions that exemplify self expression. As our contest rules state, we define that as anyone displaying a unique style or unusual talent; we're looking for people who make their mark in their own special way and stand out in a crowd.

Basically, we are looking for pictures that illustrate the Brisk ethos of living a bold, brisk life.

How have you spread the word about the contest?

Of course, we're tapping into our fan base on facebook, but we're also reaching out to influencers in the digital space where we know Brisk and Instagram fans live. We're also reaching out to SXSW Interactive fans because they'll be there to see the program come to life.

Check out http://briskpic.com, and if you're in Austin next weekend, look for the actual cans in the wild.