LEGO BOWL
The Lego Bowl is a viral campaign taking the form of a video competition. Kids build a Lego structure and attempt to “bowl” it over with something heavy being rolled into it. This could be a bowling ball, melon, globe or any other quasi-spherical object.
Rule 1: the object must be rolled into the structure (not thrown, catapulted, etc.).
Rule 2: nothing must be damaged or destroyed in the process of making the video (that goes for any buildings, homes, personal property, land/landscaping, legos, and yes—even the bowling ball or bowling ball-alternative.
Rule 4: no profanity or any arguably adult or offensive material, such issues to be decided solely by Lego.com.
Rule 5: entrants must post their videos to YouTube.com or a similarly open video-sharing site by a date set by Lego.
Rule 6: by that same date, the entrant must send enter the link to the video on a contest entry page on the Lego.com, along with all permissions necessary to post the link on Lego.com and any necessary consent forms to participate in the contest (to be determined by Lego counsel).
(Optional) Rule 7: Lego.com may impose age limitations on those who can collect prizes, although it would be simpler and probably just as well to leave the age range open.
Suggestion to entrants: prominently feature in the video the written or spoken words “Vote for this video on Lego.com!” so people will know where to look.
To start the campaign, Lego might post a few contest videos with funny examples of Lego-bowling on Lego.com.
Lego.com puts up a very simple entry page (prominently linked on the Lego.com home page) for people to enter their video links and to check any necessary consent forms.
Lego.com also does a burst of targeted traditional advertising on Nick, Cartoon Network, and some specific websites—leaning heavily toward gaming sites.
Lego.com allows entries up to a certain date, and then throws open the voting for a period of a month, with up-to-the-minute stats posted.
Voting can be across a broad number of categories, but there should be three top prizes, which should be large—ie, in the thousands of dollars for the top prize, at least, so as to get the buzz going on the internet. Other categories could be things like “the architect award” – for most impressive structural integrity in the face of impact, “best production values,” “best use of sound effects,” “best use of music,” “ most creative bowling ball alternative,” “funniest video,” etc. There could be many of these with a variety of prizes, Lego-related, electronic, monetary or otherwise, as suits Lego.com.
There are a variety of ways the voting could be handled, but it should probably be a method compatible with a large number of entries.
At the end of the voting period, Lego.com can post the winners, and allow them to post and file acceptance speeches, followed by transmission of the prizes.
Lego.com can also then promote the winning videos via congratulatory videos on its site and other sites demographically weighted toward the campaign’s target audience.
