Adblock Plus, the "open-source community project to block obnoxious online ads," is pleased to announce their first Creative Challenge. Here's a short, um, promotional video of their product:
In any case, they've just launched a contest to further their mission to clean up the visual clutter that passes for websites these days, with the goal "to make the Internet a better experience for everyone by (ironically) encouraging advertising of a different sort."
As click-through rates have declined, advertisers get desperate and try to make more noise by making intentionally obnoxious and disruptive ads, which just further depresses click-through rates. We're in a downward spiral, and we want to reverse it with clever, creative, responsible ads that meet our Acceptable Ads guidelines.
In other words, it's not so much a wholesale boycott of advertising as a campaign to make ads better. As Till Faida, Managing Director of Adblock Plus, told the Times, "I am not against ads in general... just annoyed by the current state of ads."
In the interest of "getting more designers involved," Adblock Plus is challenging filmmakers to produce a 30–90-second video for a chance to win the grand prize of a four-week filmmaking workshop at the International Academy of Film and Television in the Philippines (or, if he or she prefers, a prize pack of video equipment of their choice.
The Adblock Plus Creative Challenge is open to would-be adbusters above the age of 16 worldwide; see full rules here and submit your entry by the May 31 deadline for a chance to win.
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