While the idea is hardly foreign to modern advertising creative executives, TED and its curator, Chris Anderson, (pictured) are hoping its imprimatur will spur some competition. TED's Ads Worth Spreading Challenge, announced today, dangles the chance to get exposure at TED2011 on February 28 in Long Beach, Calif., and run on the company's home page on March 21-27, which, the company claims, will result in 2 million impressions. To sweeten the deal, TED also has an arrangement with YouTube, which plans to run the 10 winning ads on its home page. One member of the winning team will also get to attend a day of TED2011.
For those interested, videos should run 30 seconds to 5 minutes, though TED will consider non-video submissions that "introduce new online advertising solutions." The deadline for submissions is February 7.
While shareability seems to be the main criteria for a successful entry, TED's judging panel will choose the winners based on factors like "innovation, intelligence, authenticity, humor [and] craft," according to a statement from the company. More information here.