Exploitation or opportunity?

“Frito-Lay is tapping a new “agency” to create the ad spot for their $2 million Super Bowl ad spot — consumers. So finalists get a free trip to the Super Bowl, and the winner gets the deep personal satisfaction of seeing their ad on the Super Bowl — which could of course lead to a financial return from actual paid creative work. But you have to wonder whether the winner of the Frito-Lay ad contest would prefer receiving the millions of dollars in creative agency fees that Frito-Lay otherwise would have paid“

This happens on the internet – the search engines don’t pay for content, but offer exposure. This happens on tv – contestants in Idol/game shows aren’t paid, but are “given” exposure.

The result is, of course, a lot of content that isn’t worth watching or reading.