Dunder Mifflin -- yes, it's a real brand -- is crowdsourcing its first Super Bowl ad, which will run in just one market: Scranton, Pa.
In an example of reverse product placement, NBC Universal teamed up with Staples unit Quill in 2011 to create a Dunder Mifflin line of paper products. Until then, the company was a fictional entity that existed only on the U.S. version of The Office. Apparently, the venture has been successful: In November, the company began expanding into tissues, disposable cups, notepads and markers, among other products.
Now the brand is making its first foray into TV advertising. Dunder Mifflin has teamed up with crowdsourcing platform Tongal to create the ad.
On Monday, Tongal started soliciting bids for the project. The requirement for the ad is pretty broad, though it has to prominently mention the brand, Quill.com and include a plug for The Office at the end. The producers of The Office will also be reviewing the entries.
The creator of the winning ad will receive $15,000. The ad will run on local TV in Scranton during the Super Bowl. (Scranton, of course, is the headquarters for Dunder Mifflin in the show.)
The posting comes on the same day Tongal received $15 million in funding from a private equity firm.