Southwest Airlines is tapping into the buzz over the popularity of consumer-generated Super Bowl spots with a contest inviting customers to create an ad for the company.
The campaign ties to the airline’s ongoing Wanna Get Away? ad campaign featuring people in embarrassing situations.
The company is looking for videos that elicit that familiar sinking feeling in people’s stomachs when they delete their boss’s presentation minutes before an important meeting or if they accidentally break a one-of-a-kind vase, the company said.
The promotion marks the first time Southwest has offered a contest seeking consumer-generated ads, said Whitney Eichinger, Southwest Airlines spokesperson.
The idea came after YouTube users began posting their own ads based on the Wanna Get Away? campaign.
Participants can load videos up to 20 seconds long to SouthwestWannaGetAway.com through Feb. 20. Visitors can vote for the funniest submission on the site or at Youtube.com/Group/SouthwestContest. However, a panel of judges will determine the final winner based on humor and uniqueness.
One grand-prize winner will have his or her video transformed into a 30-second TV spot slated to air during the 2007 National Basketball Association playoffs this spring. Other prizes include a Southwest Airlines vacation package for four and tickets to any of the airline’s 63 destinations.
Southwest Airlines employees have submitted some of the own videos on the Web site to help inspire consumers with their own creations. So far, more than 30 consumer-generated videos have been submitted for the contest.
The promotion is being marketed at the company’s Web site and via blogs. GSD&M, Austin, TX, created the ad campaign.
Southwest joins a list of other brands including Frito-Lay and Chevrolet that have launched similar promotions seeking consumer-generated ads.
TV spots for Frito-Lay’s Doritos brand and for Chevy ran during the Super Bowl. The Big Game drew 93.2 million viewers, the second most-watched game, according to news reports.
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