Synapse

I LOVE the idea of using use-gen sites to run creative contests. Define the limits, and people come up with the most fascinating ways to interpret them.

This is an example of the latest Cannes initiative (they’ve run some very successful contests in the past).

The idea is that at midnight on May 15 all those interested received a brief for an ad for a charity (in this case Oxfam). Entrants had to conceive and shoot the ad in less than 48 hours, upload it to YouTube and submit it to the YouTube Cannes Young Lions 48 Hour Ad Contest.

The next step is to spread the word: Try to get as many people to view your ad, as often as possible in 14 days (the first phase of the contest wraps June 1).

The above is the ad Spencer Black, my dear friend (and talented Art Director for ad agency, zig) made. This blog post is one way entrants (and their supporters) can get the word out. While views play a major part in determining the winner, so does creativity. The winners get an all-expenses paid trip to Cannes, to represent YouTube in the Young Lions contest. This is where the second phase of the contest begins.

The two winners will be teamed up to rep Team YouTube and compete against 37 other teams from around the world in the Young Lions Film Competition.

Discovery’s run a similar competition for the Planet in Focus Film Festival last October, named Film Snacks. Our emphasis was on 2-minute environmental shorts.

We’ll likely be doing it again this year, and we have a more robust platform via our newest addition to the site, Planet You.

These and other contests are a fantastic way to tap into emerging talent.