Just a few days after Elon Musk said Tesla would launch a fan-made commercial competition inspired by a letter from a 5th grader, the electric automaker has officially announced and launched the competition.
In honor of 10-year-old Bria Loveday, the competition has been called ‘Project Loveday’ and will allow Tesla enthusiasts to submit commercials of no more than 90 seconds until May 8, 2017.
These submissions will be judged by Tesla employees and then 10 winners will be announced based on “originality, creativity, relevance to Tesla and its mission, and entertainment value.”
As with a normal advertisement that would air on television, the fan-made commercials will have to abide by a number of strict guidelines to be considered. This will include no mentioning or alluding to any names, logos, trademarks or products of any other company other than Tesla and its brands, including Solar City. They also must be approved for all ages, be in English and be submitted online.
Loveday initially suggested that Tesla air the winning commercial on television but instead, the company will share the 10 winners across its social media accounts. The entrant for the commercial deemed the very best will also be introduced at a future Tesla product launch event and receive two nights’ accommodation for 2 people.
While almost all automakers rely heavily on advertising, Tesla has never actually paid for advertising time and instead relies solely on social media, word of mouth and its rabid fan base to promote the company’s products. Although unconventional, this strategy has proven to be very successful.