Can a Sandwich Be Slandered?

I got a kick out of this piece in The New York Times:

Can a Sandwich Be Slandered?
By LOUISE STORY

It bleeds into the previous post and comments made by my friend in The Netherlands, Martijn de Haas.

The idea of letting consumers be creative isn't a new one. Remember jingle writing? (Actually it still goes on.) The problem is this: with jingle writing the agency always had control over what was released. Now anybody can produce a pseudo-commercial and upload it to YouTube.

While I wish I had the technical ability thirty or forty years ago to put together a 'demo reel' like young folks do today (and it's great that they have this opportunity), it looks like Quiznos is getting into a bit of a legal tangle. I predict that before long companies will understand that they should retain control over their creative, marketing, and PR messages - and not just because it's smarter - but because of lawsuits like the Quizno's/Subway one in progress. Soon agencies and clients will be asking (or demanding) that YouTube delete fake spots before any lawsuits emerge.

Every so often some creative kid will rise to the top with a great idea for a spot. But 99% of the stuff uploaded is junk - and potentially harmful to the brand or product.

And … it's a fad. Not YouTube or making videos - but producing faux commercials. The amateur video makers will get bored - and the viewers will certainly get bored.

From coverage of The Idea Conference by Ad Age:

"We've got to stop thinking that consumer-generated content is an idea," he (David Jones, Euro RSCG Worldwide) said. "It isn't. It is a phenomenon."