Penguins & Proverbs via Video Contests

Tessa Wegert writes about video contests and their power in engaging consumers on Clickz today and highlights a couple cool contests with a Vancouver connection.

The Little Penguin, a brand of Australian wine, based its recent video contest on an issue that's paramount to its feathered spokes-creatures: dating and mating (penguins dedicate their lives to it). The Little Penguin Pick-Up Project invites consumers to submit videos depicting great pickup lines in action for a chance to win a trip for two to Australia. With a more family-oriented theme, Garden State Life Insurance Company is currently asking Internet users to submit videos of their children completing famous proverbs or common sayings in humorous ways (for example, "People who live in glass houses shouldn't...go to the bathroom.") The connection between the contest and the brand lies in the company's dedication to helping families. Read the contest rules and you'll get the hint: "The best part is that this exercise can remind us about the value and importance of loved ones and the need to make sure they are taken care of...After you enter the contest, be sure and visit www.GardenStateLife.com."

Both these contests were developed by memelabs right here in Vancouver. As a spin off of Invoke Media, the folks behind memelabs have been developing online video ads and contests for awhile. memelabs offers a turn-key solution and can pretty much guarantee online traction by creating seeder videos and distributing to blogs and social networking sites. Most importantly, they'll share your contest with their list of 70,000 consumers who have participated in past contests - many of whom are film students eager to showcase their work. Wegert's article is a great endorsement for memelabs - a local start-up that will be on April's Vancouver Start-up Index.