Crowdsourcing-based agency Victors & Spoils caused quite a ruckus a few months ago when they were named agency of record by iconic (I’m required to use that word) American motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson. At long last, we have the first fruits of that union – a commercial that is either about the freedom riding a Harley gives, or the ability to now completely custom-order your hog. Or both. Watch the spot and you’ll see what I mean:

Did the jarring tag freak you out? Harsh the mellow the first 50 seconds of the spot created? Me, too. The message seems both old and disjointed. I mean, Harley’s been talking about the “freedom” aspect of riding for decades. And with much better work from its old, longtime agency Carmichael Lynch. How getting a customized bike factory-direct enhances that feeling escapes me. As it obviously escaped this commercial.

Also, this spot is dangerously close to a fairly famous Saturn spot shot by director Noam Murro:

Hmmm.

So what does this spot portend for the future of crowdsourcing? Honestly, I’m not sure the spot itself will have any impact on the crowdsourcing movement. I hope said movement dies because people get tired of putting forth a lot of effort with little chance of reward. To me, crowdsourcing is like running a virtual agency, only you ask for more from a lot more people while actually paying fewer people less money for the finished product. Great for the client and agency. Not so great for the worker bees. And as someone who spent several years as a freelancer, I’m not playing that roll-the-dice game. Not when I need to make real money to pay my real mortgage and feed my real family.

Of course, crowdsourcing isn’t just a way to get a lot of ideas on the (very) cheap. It’s also a way to get ideas from great creatives at competing agencies that want the anonymity of moonlighting is this venue. But even then, how long with the really top talents waste their time gambling on an idea? I mean, they get paid a salary to do that at their day jobs. Spending a couple hours on a idea may be fun, but a brief that calls for a complete brand overhaul is pushing it a mighty big bit.

But if I were a brand, I think I’d rather spend a few extra bucks getting people who learn about and care about my brand versus, well, asking the world’s biggest focus group to solve the problem.

But what do I know? I’ a Triumph guy.

Later,

Fox