The ad sales effort at Al Gore’s Current TV is powered almost entirely by UGC, a fun acronym for “user-generated content,” which is a fun phrase for “crap normal people create.” And they certainly aren’t the first: the Doritos Super Bowl ad, Chevy’s unfortunate Tahoe effort that resulted in more company-bashing spoofs than legit spots, and Quizno’s invitation for customers to bash Subway. And now, stalwart Lord & Taylor is getting in on it, with a contest asking you to redesign its rose logo even they admit is staid. (It’s been around since the 1940s. Who knew!) The winner’s work will appear on shopping bags, gift cards, and in-store displays, but only through Memorial Day. You’ll also pocket $10,000 in cash, which is a helluva lot cheaper than paying a marketing agency to come up with a new concept, but given the temporary nature of the content, it’s clear this is more PR stunt than an attempt at reinvigorating the brand on the cheap.
