Diageo, the UK alcoholic beverage company, is launching a site on Monday that will give amateur creative directors the tools to create their own TV commercial for Guinness beer, the FT reported. The online tools include the ability to sort and rearrange the different elements of the commercial such as film shots and soundtrack. Users will be able to post the finished commercial on the site or email it to friends. They can also compare their version with the one produced by the professional creatives at AMV BBDO when the latter appears on television starting February 12. While the idea shows how agencies are trying to tap into the popularity of user-generated content, advertisers have had mixed results when attempting similar gambits in the recent past. As the FT notes, when General Motors, invited user participation, some attacked it for contributing to climate change and Wal-Mart also closed its social net site, The Hub, after three months due to lack of interest.
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