Heinz is promoting a user-generated competition for the best TV commercial, appealing to hunger for fame. Full-page ads in The New York Times and USA Today promote the competition, pointing to the custom YouTube site, where more than 1200 videos currently reside. A final set of labels will launch this fall, once all submissions are uploaded, inviting shoppers back to TopThisTV.com to vote for their favorite spots. Winning ads will be televised nationwide and the winner also receives $57,000. Entries must be uploaded on YouTube and registered by midnight, August 6. Voting on the 15 semifinalists opens August 27.
Click on the image below to play the video in YouTube
“If the old model was to spend money on TV advertising to get people to go to the store to pick up a bottle, the new one is to use the ubiquitous Heinz packaging to ask consumers to generate TV ads for us,” said Michael Bollinger, director of client services for Smith Brothers Advertising, the agency behind both creative and media components.
Heinz created nine different bottle labels, using phrases such as “Hungry for Fame?” and “Starving for the Spotlight?” to drive consumers to the online contest. 57 million customized bottles were distributed, along with 200 million tailored ketchup packets dispersed throughout the food-service industry.
The Fifteen Finalists
A Fry’s Best Friend by Chip Johnson
A Fry’s Best Friend from chip on Vimeo.
Heinz Always Sunnyside Up by Michael Thelin
Heinz: Always Sunny Side Up from The Film and Music Company on Vimeo.
DeStorm for Heinz by Destorm Muhammad
Uncap the smile by Joseph Garner
Justin Kady Potapa Heinz Challenge by Justin Kady
Heinz Commercial by Keith Parish
Memories By by David Rorie
Heinz Sight by Michael Moretti
Heinz Moments Competition by Robert Castillo
Heinz Group Therapy by Dan Raleigh
Respect The Taste II by Jared Cicon
Heinz “Rescue Mission by Heather Collins
Heinz World Wide by Jeremiah Jones
A great contest with some great entries. The only drawback is the disorganized way in which the entries are presented. Makes it hard to view all of them and/or make a decision.