So here are the details from YouTube on “The Office” promotion. I feel like I’ve blogged about this before, but it was probably one of my many posts that gets lost by WordPress when I select “Publish.”
Here is the website about the contest.
Now I love that NBC is finally playing nice with the online video space. And The Office is absolutely my favorite television show that’s on the air currently. I TiVo every episode, and I have bought every DVD of both the American and UK original version. If you’ve ever worked in an office and enjoy low-key, laugh-track free humor, this is the show for you.
But… I’m perplexed at how paranoid NBC is about its content:
- When YouTube contacted NBC to let them know people had uploaded the SNL Muffin rap, they responded by demanding YouTube remove all of their content.
- They never responded to my multiple e-mails to request permission for this clip of my son watching The Office (he likes it too).
- The contest requires you to use ONLY select footage from the show. Nothing else.
- When you submit your entry, you must mark it “private” and let them know the URL.
- I’ll probably get a letter from NBC attorneys for using this image.
It’s a great idea to have a contest for “consumer created commercials,” but implemented with all of the paranoia of a network viewing online video as a threat. And by the way, there are about 4000 videos on YouTube that are searchable by the phrase “The Office.” Go get ’em.