Consumer-generated advertising (CGA) has reached a fork in the road. Ever since GE’s 2003 'Imagination At Work' campaign, consumers have showed a surprising willingness to participate in Internet-based, video CGA promotions (Moskowitz 2007). Marketers consider CGA in this present format a highly effective way to reach today’s consumers -- a group which has become increasingly aversive toward traditional advertising. CGA “gold rush fever” is thus spreading among brands, despite the format’s apparent risks (Walker, 2006).

With “both the technological tools and a deeply ingrained knowledge of advertising grammar now widely dispersed” among today’s consumers (Walker, 2006), CGA has the potential to become one of the marketing industry’s most effective and widespread advertising formats. Jackie Huba, who co-authored "Creating Customer Evangelists," states, “I think we're just now beginning to see the beginnings of what will become a massive diffusion of citizen-created media.” (Moskowitz, 2006)

Yet while industry insiders and observers agree that CGA has been largely successful to this point, there is little consensus that the format will be able to fulfill its enormous potential. Mike Shine, creative director of the agency that handled the CGA campaign considered perhaps the most successful to date -- the Converse campaign -- believes that the format has already peaked: "I think brands should move on and stop asking people to participate. It's been done (Bosman, 2006). ”

Mike May, an interactive media analyst and consultant, also believes that the copycat tactics of marketers have severely diluted the effectiveness of CGA to the degree that its days are limited: “They're right to call it a trend-- it is. Or, it was.... Those who come up with [fresh ideas] get a lot of ink; those who copy them can turn even a great idea into a marketing ploy in no time. So I don't see a lot of life left in this particular tactic.” May predicts that with the fall of CGA, brands will focus their attentions on engaging consumers in more casual media formats such as blogs and chatrooms. (Moskowitz, 2006)

This paper seeks to reach a conclusion about which road CGA will take from here. Will it become the “next big thing” in advertising, will it completely fade out, or will it land somewhere in between? To answer this question, we will first examine CGA from a historical perspective. Then, we will consider CGA in its present state by looking at two recent campaigns, one by Converse and one by Chevy Tahoe. Finally, we will begin to draw conclusions about the future of CGA by looking at the “players” who ultimately control its fate, consumers, advertising creatives, and marketing executives.