Viewer Produced Commercials

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Current TV Taps Viewers To Produce Commercials
from DV.com
San Francisco, CA (February 28, 2006) - How many young filmmakers have had a great creative idea for a brand, but no inroads to Madison Avenue? In the spirit of its viewer created content (VC²) program model, Current TV (www.current.tv) debuts an unprecedented innovation in commercial television: the viewer-created ad message (V-CAM). Now young filmmakers and video producers everywhere have a chance to produce a commercial spot for one of Current's major-brand sponsors and have it air on national television. Current charter sponsor Sony Electronics will be the first to air a V-CAM.

The network's audience already produces enough VC² video content to comprise more than 30% of Current's on-air broadcast, and now the audience can produce some of the advertising that runs on the network. V-CAM producers will receive $1,000 for every ad that makes it on air. If a sponsor wants to distribute it beyond Current TV's broadcast, the producer will earn more money — $5,000 to $50,000 depending where it's used — and will see their ad in wider distribution.

"Our sponsors look to us to help them connect with an audience that craves relevance and credibility. V-CAM is their chance to let viewers do just that, while providing them a platform to show off their creative juice. We know from our success in viewer created content that our audience is up to the task," stated Anne Zehren, president of sales & marketing at Current. "V-CAM is another bold step in Current's mission to help transform TV from a one-way broadcast to a two-way conversation where the voices of young adults can be clearly heard."

In addition to Sony's support of V-CAM, Toyota and L'Oreal will launch similar campaigns in the weeks to follow. Current TV is the only network that features viewer-created advertising as a permanent and regular feature of its broadcast.

"The Current TV audience is extremely media-savvy. They know when companies are trying to sell them products, and they're fickle about how brands market to them. To stay relevant, we must speak in the real voice of our customers," stated Mike Fasulo, chief marketing officer for Sony Electronics, a division of Sony Corporation. "A viewer-created ad provides this kind of authenticity. In effect, we're allowing our consumers to tell us how they want products sold to them, not the other way around."

The process starts on the network's Online Studio at www.current.tv/v-cam. On the V-CAM assignment page, potential producers can find different assignments on what spots to create. Presently, the site includes assignments for Sony, including the "Walkman 50-hour Diary," which asks producers to chronicle two days with their Sony walkman; "What's Your Sony Style?" where producers can make an ad around any Sony product (at www.sonystyle.com) that reflects lifestyle; "Your Sony Handycam," which asks video producers to answer: "What does your camcorder mean to you?"; and "The 'like no other' Wild Card" that gives creators the chance to make a brand spot for Sony Electronics.

There are few length restrictions — a V-CAM spot can be from three seconds up to three minutes, which correlates with Current's inclusion of a long-form ad break (up to three minutes) every hour. Further, filmmakers can find valuable tools to create their pieces. The assignment page contains a short film that explains V-CAMs, hosted by Conor Knighton, one of the anchors for the network's "Google Current" segment. Producers can download logos for Sony and Sony products, all the necessary releases for them to acquire the necessary legal permission, and find links to more information about Sony products to develop their commercial.

Once the piece is created, the V-CAM producer only needs to register with Current's web site, for free, and post the video on the site. At that point, just like the rest of the network's viewer-created content, the piece will be watched and voted on by the network's online community. A V-CAM with a lot of votes, or "greenlights," will be considered for air. Ultimately, Current and the sponsor associated with the video will give final approval for the V-CAM to air.

The first upload for the V-CAM program comes from Tyson Ibele of Minneapolis. At age 18, Ibele got into 3D animation and created an ad spot for his portfolio. The 30-second spot, a slick montage of 3D computer animation featuring several of Sony's products, was never aired. The animator, now 19 and employed as a lead animator for MAKE (www.makevisual.com), has the chance to have this piece air on TV as part of the Sony campaign. The piece was posted on the site under the "Wild Card" assignment, and can be viewed through Current's online screening room (www.current.tv/studio/screening).

"It's an amazing resource for anyone who can't find an outlet for their work. There aren't a lot of places that are willing to support independent artists," Ibele commented. "Current is definitely a revolutionary step forward in the world of media broadcasting."

For more information, please visit the website: www.current.tv.

Posted: Thu - March 9, 2006 at 09:44 AM

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Viewer Produced Commercials

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