Creative Created Content

Most UGC 'please make us an ad' campaigns are pretty misguided. 

Whilst I'm all about the culture of participation, the idea that making films is the apotheosis of creativity and thus the core engagement substrate for growing a bed of brand advocates is probably a reflection of myopia rather than progression.

Not everyone wants to make films, or ads. People who want to make films, or ads, [or, as Iain has pointed out, other agencies [possibly looking to steal the account]] do.

That said, it's not necessarily important that everyone does;  you can leverage the creative classes and make a statement about your newly democratic brand if you do it well, and put the results on TV and that.

Anyway, my initial reaction to such initiatives now is usually akin to the rolled eyes of a bored blind date as you announce your intention to take him/ her to Pizza Express.

Which is why I thought I'd mention the Anne Summers Viral Academy, because I seem to quite like how they are running it, which surprised me.

The lovely, and rather cunning, people at communication strategy shop Good Stuff have convinced their client they don't need a creative agency and instead have set up a freelance creative roster, for people who would like to create some transmissible sexual ideas.

I like this because it understands what I said earlier - the people who want to make films are people who want to make films:

We don’t retain a creative agency; instead we welcome ideas from talented creative people who contact us directly. These are people who want to bolster their show reel with some advertising that will be seen by millions.

However the ideas we get are not in response to a specific brief – are not necessarily true to our brand values or business objectives. We have created the Ann Summers viral academy to formalise the process.

So if you're a creative team or filmmaker, head over and have a look. You've got until Christmas Eve to register, and about 100 teams already have, giving Anne Summers a very large creative department to issue briefs to, without having to pay a creative agency retainer.