The budget supermarket brand Aldi are the latest company to hit upon the idea of getting their own customers to come up with 'the goods' for them.
I've just had their latest emailer featuring a competition 'Upload your TV script'. Clicking on the link takes you to a nicely designed interface, which leads you by the hand in submitting your great idea to them. There's space to set the scene with background information and boxes to enter your actor's dialogue.
The only restriction is you're limited to a set selection of products to choose from. I can't think why they did that as it would undoubtedly stifle creativity; perhaps someone has a great idea for blackcurrent cordial (I do as it happens, but I'm not telling them) but Aldi will never know as it's not on the list.
So, what does a great idea get you? What suitable reward do Aldi bestow for the creator of their next great ad campaign? Well, apart from a warm glow inside, you'll get £100.
Wow, a ton, a whole hundred pounds - to spend in store!! You can't even take your hundred pounds and treat yourself to a nice jumper from Marks & Spencer, you're stuck with Aldi's finest. Not that I'm knocking stuff from Aldi, they do the odd bottle of decent wine, (not nearly as good as their budget rival Lidl) but restricting the prize to spending in store, come on Aldi, play fair.
I think I'll be saving my blackcurrent cordial idea for a bit, see if Lidl enter into the fray; see what they might offer for a TV commercial, or I have some pictures of my cat eating what could be their own brand Kat Fud, perhaps they might be interested in that.
OK, budget supermarkets like Aldi and Lidl are all about value for money, they stack products on pallets so they don't have to employ people to do it, I get it; but how about value for a great idea?
I'm not criticising their cunning plan, just the wholly unbalanced reward. Aldi will save thousands, create a great ad (presumably) and make extra hay from advertising the competition, numerous failed entrants, winners etc.
For a cheap supermarket, I think it's a little too 'cheap'
