Bud Light Sponsors New JibJab Joke Site
Bud Light is sponsoring a new viral humor site by JibJab that lets users store and share funny e-mails, pictures and jokes with the cyber world.
Bud Light will feature the site’s Top 10 member-rated jokes of the week at BudLight.com. The deal also called for the beer to have a “significant” presence at the new JibJab site, Jokebox, including downloads of some of its more popular humorous ads like “Real Men of Genius” and “Ted Ferguson: Bud Light Daredevil.” The site went live Monday.
The site is free to users who want to post jokes or other humorous items. The submissions can then be commented on by users or sent to friends.
“JibJab continues to be a leader in the realm of viral humor, and Jokebox is another perfect way to engage adult beer drinkers with social humor and viral content to be shared among friends,” said Rick Leininger, director of Bud Light Marketing, Anheuser-Busch, in a statement.
JibJab was developed by brothers Gregg and Evan Spiridellis, who created the wildly popular “This Land” Internet video that poked fun at presidential contenders George Bush and John Kerry in 2004.
To stave off unpleasant content—porn, violence or hatred—the brothers have crafted “Rules of Conduct” for users. The list of 10 controls includes asking the question, “Is this offensive?” above every joke; the site also posts a rating system—similar to one used by the film industry—that cautions viewers, who can then block jokes per rating; and the site adds warning labels to jokes that might be offensive. In addition, The A-Hole Patrol was established as a voluntary “community police” force that reviews new submissions and investigates reports of abuse.
JibJab and Anheuser-Busch first hooked up in May 2005, when the two teamed to develop online entertainment for Budweiser. At the time, the duo brought back two popular “Bud” lizards—Frank and Louie—to create a 30-second teaser video titled, Roll Out the Barrel (Xtra, May 25, 2005).
The Spiridellis, based in Santa Monica, CA, have also worked with Sony, Kraft, USA Networks and the History Channel.
