It’s SuperBowl season again. I don’t follow football (I’m a Redskins fan, so there’s no point), but I can always tell when the SuperBowl is coming up because all of my Facebook friends stop inviting me to watch their improv shows and instead invite me to watch their Doritos Crash the SuperBowl Contest entries.

For the uninitiated – first, consider yourself lucky – then, let me explain: A few years ago, the people at Frito-Lay hatched a marketing plan so devious, so perfectly-formed in its evil that I can’t help but admire and despise it at the same time. It’s the Hans Gruber of advertising campaigns.

Here’s how it works: Frito-Lay set up a contest based around a website where contestants can upload homemade Doritos commercials for the world to watch. Anyone can then watch and vote for their “favorite” (i.e. their own or their friends’). Then, supposedly based on the number of views and votes, a handful of these spec commercials are selected to air during the SuperBowl. From these finalists, a winner is chosen and awarded a big prize (historically: a trip to the game, a million dollars, and a contract to make another Doritos commercial).

It’s the kind of campaign that can make an ad exec’s entire career. And it’s all pure, unadulterated marketing evil.

The Doritos Crash the SuperBowl Contest is the greatest example of a spec creative work farm disguised as a contest. By offering both paltry and illusory rewards, Doritos Crash The SuperBowl Contest preys upon amateur filmmakers and actors – convincing them to willfully hand over their time and talent for the chief benefit of the Frito-Lay corporation.

To prove my point, let’s peel back the layers:

Layer 1: Passing the Costs on to the Customer

Chrysler's 2011 SuperBowl Ad featuring Eminem cost $12 million in airtime alone.

Now, I’m sure running the CTS website costs a pretty penny, and the finalists and winners are compensated handsomely. But I’m sure the costs of running the contest and paying off the finalists is far cheaper for Frito-Lay than going the traditional SuperBowl ad production route. I personally know contestants who have sunk thousands of dollars of their own money into their non-winning CTS entries. They’d be better off just writing Frito-Lay a check for their production expenses.

So by sponsoring a contest, Frito-Lay literally passes off millions in production costs to their customers while leveraging the internet as one giant, free focus group. Clever, but not necessarily evil. Let’s go deeper:

Layer 2 : Handing Over Rights to Your Work

Jeff Lorch stars in the 2011 Doritos Crash the SuperBowl winner "Pug Attack."

To be fair, so far the Frito-Lay people have done the right thing – if only with contest finalists. I spoke with Jeff Lorch – lead actor in the 2011 CTS winner “Pug Attack”. When his spot won and continued to run on TV in the following weeks, Jeff was paid the residuals he was entitled to as a member of SAG.

But what about the hundreds of other non-finalist actors and filmmakers? By entering the contest, these creators have given Frito-Lay the full legal right to run their ads in their original form (on TV and online), remake them entirely, or even sell their ideas to a competitor – all without paying them a dime. So by sponsoring a contest, Frito-Lay gets a literal treasure trove of intellectual property and commercial ideas to exploit however they choose.

One might argue that this surrender of rights is clearly laid out in the CTS contest rules and that all contestants presumably know what they’re getting into before submitting. Hooray for transparency, I guess. All I know is if I saw my entry on TV after the SuperBowl (or an idea even remotely similar), I’d be really pissed off.

Layer 3 : Turning Customers Into Spammers

The Doritos Crash the SuperBowl website harvests email addresses for voting.

For Frito-Lay, this is a major marketing coup. In this age of advertising clutter, all marketers are increasingly turning to social media in an attempt “to turn their customers into brand evangelists.” By tying their marketing message into to this contest, Frito-Lay gets a ongoing marketing campaign that literally advertises itself – but does so by piggybacking on the goodwill of their customers among their friends and families. These good-natured voters have to register with their email address to vote on the CTS website – presumably to avoid duplicate votes – but we all know Frito-Lay is just harvesting their email addresses for marketing research and mailing lists.

To them, that’s genius. To me, that’s evil.

A Growing Trend

Sadly, the contest-as-marketing-campaign idea is spreading like a cancer. One of Chevy’s SuperBowl ads this year will be a “crowdsourced” video selected by how many times contestants “share” (read: spam) their friends with it. Sheets Energy Strips recently enlisted Lebron James to judge “user-submitted videos” (read: spec ads) for potential TV airtime. And in perhaps the most ironic example, the Obama re-election campaign recently set up a contest for graphic designers to submit spec (read: unpaid) poster designs – get this – for their jobs program.

Every year, companies use contests like these and Crash the SuperBowl to lure filmmakers, actors, designers, and other creatives into doing their marketing work for them with the promise of money and exposure. But the money is a long-shot and the exposure is a illusion.

“But the Crash The SuperBowl contest rewards the winner with a million dollars!” you say. True, but so does a lottery ticket. And at least lottery money goes back to the state to fund schools and other public programs.

“But the Crash the SuperBowl contest offers the winner a chance to make another commercial!” you say. True, and that’s great – if you want to make Doritos commercials for a living (I hazard to guess most contestants don’t).

“But the Crash The SuperBowl contest offers the exposure of a SuperBowl-sized audience!” you say. True, but is that type of exposure really all that life-changing?

Nick Armstrong (left) starred in the 2011 Doritos Crash the SuperBowl finalist "Casket."

“Everyone during the time was like ‘Your life is going to change’,” Nick writes. “I was like ‘Uh, no it’s not!’ I think a lot of people put that on it. After the commercial aired, I still had to get back out there and audition like the rest and continue my hustle. I did do a lot of press interviews and things and they thought I was a movie star…I just kept laughing telling them…If you only knew what it is really like to be an actor these days!”

So when a comparison of the rewards that CTS winners receive versus the rewards that Frito-Lay reaps reveals a heavily lop-sided scale in Frito-Lay’s favor, what’s the point of entering again?

A Personal Dilemma

Derek Leonidoff (right) stars in the 2012 Doritos Crash the SuperBowl finalist "Man's Best Friend."

When Man’s Best Friend was selected as a finalist, Derek contacted me for online marketing advice. I eventually declined because a) he and his team were already doing everything possible (a dedicated website, daily Facebook and email reminders, etc.) and b) I just couldn’t reconcile advising him on a situation I take issue with. I’ll bend over backwards to help Derek succeed with any of his other creative endeavors. I want him reach SuperBowl-sized audiences – but I’d rather it was with work that he owns and that primarily benefits him, not Frito-Lay.

My Point

I’m not calling for a boycott of the Doritos Crash the SuperBowl contest, nor am I accusing entrants of “selling out.” Instead, I hope to encourage potential contestants to use the same time, money, and talent they would invest in CTS entries to create original works that similarly showcase their creativity, remain their own, and won’t clog their friends’ newsfeeds with spammy requests to interact with a brand of crappy corn chips.

In reflecting on his Crash the SuperBowl experience, Jeff Lorch gets it:

“What it did do for me was open up my mind to the possibilities we have to make our own material, and to make it well. I was already on the train of making short films and such, and my friend’s winning … reinforced the ‘never say die’ attitude.”

So next year, when Crash The SuperBowl season comes around again (and it will), I hope all my fellow actors and filmmakers see it for the thinly-veiled, lop-sided, evil marketing campaign it is – and then take their talents elsewhere.

Or we could just make parody ads like the fellas at Three Cats Dads:

What do you think? Is the Doritos Crash the SuperBowl Contest evil? Crash the comments below with your opinion.

This week’s JYE comes from our pal Shuan Landry. Shaun and her husband/partner Hans have developed a new sketch show – Whatever It Is, We’re Against It – that debuts next month at Second City LA.

Landry and Summers - Whatever It Is, We're Against It (courtesy Shaun Landry)

Your Group or Show Name

Landry & Summers

Type:

• Sketch (Live)
• Improv

Website

http://www.landryandsummers.com

City & State

Los Angeles, CA

Venue and Showtime Info

Various Venues all over Los Angeles.
Current Venue at The Second City November 10 & 17th

Are you funny?

We have a lot of reviews that say we are. Personally, I think we are are quite fun and smart.

Why do you do what you do?

Both Hans and I cannot imagine doing anything else. We still enjoy performing and making people laugh or think or imagine. We like the rush we get on the stage. We love afterwards where if you done well the room is still buzzing and then still buzzing at the nearest bar you end up at. Can't imagine doing anything else that gives so much so much fun. Outside of sex. But nobody wishes to see that from Landry & Summers onstage

Given all the entertainment options available today, why should anyone pay attention to your work?

I think the general audience should pay attention to all forms of Improvisational Theater and Sketch Comedy. Why they should pay attention to Landry & Summers: We try our best to give you not only great time, but something you will remember long after you leave the theater. Once you pay the attention, we hope you will not be disappointing.

Given all the different types of comedy around today, what makes your comedy different and unique?

You don't see too many improv ensembles who have worked together for as long as Landry & Summers. That is experience. We had the very odd experience at one of our last shows playing with another ensemble him saying this:

The other group is good. They are professionals. Maybe that makes us a little different too. We take being funny very seriously.

What are you doing to tell the world about your work?

Our website, Twitter, Facebook, A massive mailing list to all major media outlets, concierge listings around Los Angeles. Listing in inflight magazines. We also (if the space we rent or use allows us) offer discounted tickets to our shows. We also heavily hit the Universities. When we have the time we we are booked...we will also make posters and flyers and hire a poster and paper flyer to hit the area in and around the theater. (Seriously. The best money we have every spent).

What do you think? Do Landry and Summers justify their existence? Use the comments to express your opinion or submit your own answers today.

This week’s JYE answers come from Krissy Lenz of Mesa, Arizona’s National Comedy Theatre. Thanks to Krissy for submitting.

National Comedy Theatre in action (photo courtesy Krissy Lenz)

Your Group or Show Name

National Comedy Theatre

Type:

Improv

Website

http://www.nctphoenix.com

City & State

Mesa, AZ

Venue and Showtime Info

National Comedy Theatre
1111 S Longmore Mesa, AZ 85202

Are you funny?

Yes. I am also awkward, clumsy and misspell a lot of words. I embrarass myself frequently. Also, my kids say alot of adorable things, and that is comedy gold.

Additonally, I might add that our team features about 20-30 other funny people at any given time. Each show features a different combination of 7 of them. And they are funny also. Maybe not as funny as me, but one day... you know it takes years to cultivate this level of naive confusion and unfocused rage... they'll get there.

Why do you do what you do?

I perform because... all that awkward rage has to go somewhere. I teach because Im pretty sure if I dont pay the love of improv forward, Ill be somehow cursed to be born a republican in my next life.

And, I put my blood, sweat, tears, heart, soul and credit score into opening my theatre- and keeping it open- because the rest of my awkward companions need a home, too.

Given all the entertainment options available today, why should anyone pay attention to your work?

When everything on television is a reality TV show featuring the worst humans the producers could scrape up...

When every film at your multiplex is a re-boot or a re-make or an unimaginative re-telling...

When the battery on your smartphone dies and you cant play angry birds...

improv is there! always new. always exciting. and interactive too!

Given all the different types of comedy around today, what makes your comedy different and unique?

Its a team effort, no ONE funny person can save the day.

What are you doing to tell the world about your work?

Absolutely everything that I can. Always.

What do you think? Does Krissy justify the National Comedy Theatre’s existence? Use the comments to express your opinion or submit your own answers today.

To the general public, your Harold team looks like this.

With that in mind, this week I want examine the world of improv – specifically The Harold: the signature piece taught and performed by most improv theaters across the country, including the iO and the Upright Citizens Brigade.

So What The Hell is “The Harold”?

Developed by Del Close and Charna Halpern at Chicago’s Improv Olympic, The Harold, in it’s most basic, structured form, is defined by Wikipedia as:

“Three acts (or “beats”), each with three scenes and a group segment. With each beat, the three scenes return. By the end of the piece, the three scenes have converged.”

That’s a little complicated – as any Harold team member who has tried to explain to their parents what they do will tell you. With the Harold, you kinda have to see it in order to understand it. And even then, sometimes it still makes no sense.

To me, that’s a big problem from a marketing point of view. There’s no native hook there – nothing to hang your hat on advertising-wise. I suppose you could stress the unpredictable nature of the show, but given the fact that 7 out of 10 Harolds at any given Harold Night don’t deviate from the original “training wheels” form, that seems both unnecessary and misleading.

Contrasting Forms

Opening Night: The Improvised Musical!®

For contrast, I look to other shows like Opening Night: The Improvised Musical!. Opening Night consistently draws big audiences (as well it should, as it’s an excellent show), and while our audience is mostly fellow improvisers (and friends we’ve begged), a large chunk of their audience is the general public. I think a big part of that is due to the hook inherent to their form. “An improvised musical” is much more appealing easier to understand than “a free-form, three-act playlet.” Especially for my parents.

So if there’s no good hook within The Harold itself, how do we market it? Obviously we have to look elsewhere. For Trophy Wife, we focus on the personality of the group. But I want to hear what you guys do as well. Once again, I have no real answers for this particular topic. I just want to start a conversation.

Are you on a Harold Team? How do you market it? Use the comments below to offer your strategy. Together we can crack this nut.

This week’s JYE entry comes from Evan Watkins of NYC’s Dumpster Tequila Musical Improv. Check him out the last Saturday of every month at The Player’s Theater in NYC.

Dumpster Tequila Musical Improv (photo courtesy Evan Watkins)

Your Group or Show Name

Dumpster Tequila Musical Improv

Type:

Improv

Website

www.dumpstertequila.com

City & State

New York, NY

Venue and Showtime Info

Last Saturday of every month at The Player's Theatre in NYC

Are you funny?

Yes

Why do you do what you do?

I do what I do to inspire other people to do what I do. I was inspired by Eliza Skinner to start doing musical improv and I want to inspire other people to do musical improv because of seeing us perform.

Given all the entertainment options available today, why should anyone pay attention to your work?

People should pay attention to us because we're good, we've been together for over two years and have some of the strongest musical improvisers in NYC performing with us. We also work hard and rehearse every week. We are also trying new things and pushing the bounds of how people think of musical improv.

Given all the different types of comedy around today, what makes your comedy different and unique?

Our comedy comes from a real and honest place, yes there may be people having sex with ghosts, and murderous orphans, but all of our characters are grounded in a real place.

What are you doing to tell the world about your work?

I send out press releases and pitch stories to local daily newspapers as well as magazines and TV. We make a point of maintaining our social networks including Facebook and Twitter. If you're not constantly promoting yourself and your work no one will ever take notice of you.

What say you? Does Evan justify Dumpster Tequila’s existence? Use the comments to give your opinion or submit your own answers today.

Their advice is mostly common sense – be fast, be on-target, be precise – and is given under the (completely valid) assumption that all journalists overwhelmed, overworked, and under a tight deadline. “Don’t waste their time” is the major takeaway.

But we, as comedians, want reviews. We crave media attention. It validates us and helps us build an audience. So how can we get the attention of these journalists who by default don’t have time for us?

One way is to have a “hook.”

A hook is that one unique element that makes your comedy different from all the other offerings in your medium. It can be anything. In the world of improv, genre-based shows often provide the most appealing and most accessible hooks (eg. improvised musical, improvised Shakespeare, improvised zombie movie, etc.). For stand-ups, the hook is more intimate – it usually lies somewhere in your personal background (i.e. your upbringing, your day-job, your material, etc.). From having an all-female cast to the harrowing story of your latest video shoot, the more specific and unique your hook, the more appealing it will be to reporters.

Journalists are always searching for the hook because it suggests a story. It not only makes their article easier to write (remember: don’t waste their time), but also makes the resulting article worth reading.

So “I’m funny” is not a good hook.

Find your hook, bake it into your media kit, and help journalists help you.

What’s your hook? What makes your comedy unique? One way to find out is to answer our Justify Your Existence questionnaire. Or use the comments ask your fellow readers.

Marc Maron (photo courtesy the internet)

OK. So just like in the podcast, Maron uses his JFL keynote speech to talk honestly about wrestling his own demons in the world of stand-up, as well as give some advice to up-and-coming comedians. One bit of advice that might ring true to MC readers is #9:

9. This is not a meritocracy. Get over yourself.

Sounds an awful lot like our First Rule of Promotion: No One Cares.

Maron also talks about the origin of his famous podcast, which he started recording at the nadir of his life:

Broke, defeated and career-less, I started doing a podcast in that very garage where I was planning my own demise. [...] I started to laugh at things again. I was excited to be alive. Doing the podcast and listening to comics was saving my life. I realized that is what comedy can do for people.

You know what the industry had to do with that?

Absolutely nothing.

When I played an early episode for my now former manager in his office thinking that I was turning a career corner and we finally had something he listened for 3 minutes and said, “I don’t get it.”

I don’t blame him. Why would he? It wasn’t on his radar or in his wheel house. There’s no package deal, no episode commitment, no theaters to sell out. He had no idea what it was or how to extract money from it AND I did it from my garage. Perfect. It took me 25 years to do the best thing I had ever done and there was no clear way monetize it.

I’m ahead of the game. [...] I am the future of show business. Not your show business, my show business.

Maron’s WTF podcast has earned more than 20 million downloads in less than two years. The success has led to book deals, TV appearances, as well a resurrection of Maron’s stand-up tour. He recently announced he had shot a spec TV pilot based on WTF to shop around to networks. In keeping with Maron’s DIY streak, the pilot was self-produced.

Maron’s resurgence is a prime example of the type of audience-building we’re trying to dissect on this site. Armed with only a microphone and a website (plus 25 years of stand-up experience and connections to draw upon), Maron rebuilt his career and audience from scratch to new heights, proving that the best way to market comedy is to just be funny.

Did you read Maron’s JFL keynote? What do you think? Is Maron’s DIY success something other comedians can replicate? Use the comments below to share your opinion.

This week’s JYE entry comes from Nick Hoffman – a stand-up based in Petaluma, CA.

Nick Hoffman (photo courtesy Nick Hoffman)

Your Group or Show Name

Nick Hoffman

Type:

Stand-Up

Website

None

City & State

Petaluma, CA

Venue and Showtime Info

N/A

Are you funny?

I am funny. Thanks for asking.

Why do you do what you do?

I feel worked up about my comedy all the time, and if I don't release, I get comedy blue balls.

Given all the entertainment options available today, why should anyone pay attention to your work?

Because like everyone else, I have a unique perspective. Wait... is that right?

Given all the different types of comedy around today, what makes your comedy different and unique?

Nobody has lived in my shoes. My take on things is firmly rooted in my own experience of it. Oh, and I talk about my dog and my kid.

What are you doing to tell the world about your work?

Sometimes I post on Facebook... other times, I don't.

What do you think? Does Nick justify his existence? Use the comments to sound off or submit your own answers today.

Some people say Chicago Improvisers are the most generous people in the world. This might or might not be particularly true, but I know that as a comedian doing this (along with stand-up and sketch) that we are pretty much all in this together.

The way I figure it: The more you succeed with your improv company, the better off improv as an entity is and with that the more likely improv will be seen – which means the more likely everything eventually rolls back to all of us.

Win Win.

With that said, I have always been pretty generous with how to market from the successes I have experienced with not only Oui Be Negroes, but with other comedy ventures. For a while there people were saying “Well, you have a gimmick. It’s easy to promote your company because there are not a lot of African American ensembles.” This might also be true too. But I always said “If you just tried to promote yourself it doesn’t matter what hook or gimmick you have. I point to The Second City and The Annoyance and ComedySportz or Theatersports. The gimmick means nothing if you do not promote the gimmick.

Part of promoting that is telling people who can tell a mass audience. The big influence for me has been to the media. To do this they will always ask for your Media Kit – or Press Release so they can in turn (if interested) put you in their newspapers, magazines, television shows, radio stations, concierge information, online sites, that scrolling thing in the back of cabs and other places that needs your information.

Example: The Obligatory Improv Company

The Obligatory Improv Company is super-great!

Joe is a go-getter. He was picked because once at the bar improvising to no one but other improvisers he mumbled, “It’s like doing theater to the wind” and was given the opportunity to prove everyone wrong. This person got online and went to the queen mother of improvisational promotion – The Second City – to find points. This is what he found out:

The Obligatory Improv Company Media Template should be all-encompassing. It should be everything you ever need in a Full Media Kit. This includes:

1. The Obligatory Improv Company first page for Calendar Listings
   Using what most major online newspapers currently use: the template asked by sfgate: He designed a first page that encompasses the major outlets for media: Television, Radio, Dailies, Weeklies and Monthlies. He included a blurb to be used that can not only be used for calendars, it is interesting enough alone to use to score that Cover Story or longer “What To See This Week” blurb. It also includes a PSA to use as both TV and radio will use them liberally if interested and that is all about free.
2. The Obligatory Improv Company second page “Real Faux Article”
   With a touch of research, Joe found articles on improv by other companies. He looked at the format of the writing. From there, he wrote a “Faux article” for his second page. He knows he is literally handing the journalist on a silver platter what they could possibly write about. More importantly, it is giving comedy and theater journalists the “Full Reason Why” they should write something. It also includes pictures they took of themselves by someone else in the company to use. It gives the person looking at their media kit the actual “Visual look” of what they could possibly write about.
3. The Obligatory Improv Company Third Page of Cast Bio and Pictures.
   This page comes in two fold: It shows who is in this company, it gives pictures of cast members who just might be quoted by a journalist.
4. The Obligatory Improv Company Fourth Page of Reviews and References
   Yes. Joe knows this company is brand spanking new. They have only been around for six months and only has a Facebook Page. But on that Page is a really nice comment by someone who saw their show. He sends them a Facebook message to ask if they can use it. Joe knows good and well to not make up ridiculous quotes that do not exist at all or make up wacky ones that are overplayed and annoying and can backfire. Just by looking at his info from Second City, it is apparent they let their comedy speak for themselves and not in their press releases.
5. The Offer for Free Tickets.
   Joe knows you always offer. He also knows that some journalist will call and say they will be there and offer to pay. Joe knows you do NOT wish to upset them by pushing free tickets on them. If they offer, Joe will take their money gladly.

Joe realizes he can cater one or more pages to anyone in Word and PDF.
When Joe finished his full on media kit and then got on to start compiling and researching a “Updated Media List for his area” he realizes that everyone has slightly different “Rules” Some just want text in an email. Others are cool with attachments. Some prefer a link online. Some places wish for you to use their “System Form” to submit your media release. This where he realized that he can have his full release in Word and pdf. Word specifically to cut and paste text into their own programs and everything else for classic “Email/Faxing” and even printing for those strange guys still living in 1999 and you have to mail a Media Kit to.

Joe knows he must update his press release each and every time they do a new runs different from the last or to remind media they are still around if they have an ongoing run.
Joe has seen it happen with other companies: The zeal of doing their media and landing articles and news shows and an online popular zine. He has also seen that slowly die off after a few years. He knows that this media kit needs to go out at least six months to remind the press they are still around. This is why the Blanket Template is so important. Joe can just pop onto his computer and adjust at will. From the change in new company members to a change in venue to announce a new show. Even if there is a new picture or even a new logo. Once the template is up, everything else is gravy.

Joe knows in Improv it is about Group Mind. He also knows this does not apply to Marketing.
Joe gets all the base bio information and quotes current company members would like to use in the Real Faux Article. He even might let one person help with a proofread. But Joe knows if he tries to go through “Committee” it will never get done. Improv is about trust. So Joes explains in improv terms that they must “Trust his work doing media and marketing.” He is cool with getting suggestions, but the ultimate decision comes down to the person they have entrusted with their marketing. Joe also has learned to take that one company member he lovingly calls “A ton of ideas who won’t do shit” with a grain of salt on telling him what needs to be done.

Joe is such a swell guy. He decided to take his media kit and share it with me to share it with you. Because Joe wants everyone who does what he loves to succeed too. It is attached here in PDF.

Some people say Chicago Improvisers are the most generous improvisers around. I don’t know about that really. But when it comes to succeeding in what we do as comedians – we are sort of alright.

Just ask The Second City.

What do you think of Joe’s Media Kit? How is it different from yours? Use the comments to let us know.

Rick Ross and Andy Samberg Complex Cover by F. Scott Schafer

Shot by F. Scott Schafer, the cover pays tribute to the original Jaws 2 poster, and not only stands as a sharp, clever, and well-executed press photo, but provides an interesting case-study in cross-promotion. Samberg and Ross teamed up for the Complex cover shoot and accompanying interview – to promote their respective albums and talk about the connections between comedy and hip-hop – a topic I plan to investigate further on this site.

Bonus: Check out the “exclusive” behind-the-scenes video from the photo shoot below. It’s not terribly insightful. They don’t even mention or show the photographer. I love it because – just like a crappy student film – the credits are almost as long as the actual video.

What do you think about the Samberg/Ross Complex cover? Does it work for you or not? Sound off in the comments.