Letgo’s new tool lets users make blockbuster ads to sell their junk

Users pick from one of four amusing commercial styles, each of which lampoons a common advertising cliché. The tool, called the “Commercializer,” then picks up the seller’s item, incorporating its description, price and location into the ad. The ad created lives alongside the item on the letgo app, and can also be shared across the user’s social networks.

“It’s not the most exciting thing in the world to be creating classified ads and selling your items on a second-hand marketplace — and people definitely don’t share them on social,” said Jay Gelardi, executive Creative Director, CP+B Miami, which created the ads. “The strategic goal was to create a piece of content that was so entertaining and fun that people would want to share it on their social platforms.”

The Commercializer currently features four customizable ad formats that users can choose from: An over-the-top parody of ‘80s style Hollywood action films that features Lundgren as a mercenary brought out of retirement to help save mankind; a stereotypical perfume ad where two loin-clothed models crawl on the floor, jabber in French and fight over the user’s item; a spoof on tropes pharmaceutical companies use for prescription drugs; and an play on home shopping network infomercials featuring two bickering former-lover co-hosts.

“There is nothing more ridiculous than the stereotypical perfume and drug ads,” said Gelardi. “We used this as an opportunity to have some fun with it and juxtapose the banality of selling an everyday item with these over-the-top commercials.”

The aim was to create an effective way to promote what users are selling and make more users aware of the letgo brand. “From a brand perspective, this is a great way for us to introduce millions of consumers and their friends to letgo and show them what our platform can do,” said Alec Oxenford, lego’s cofounder.

To create the ads, CP+B Miami worked with Tool of North America, which developed the proprietary backend technology. It was tested in a beta phase prior to being launched this week, which resulted in 54,000 user-generated ads. The spoof spots have been directed by Matt Villines of Saturday Night Live and comedy directing duo Matt & Oz.

Launched in 2015, the letgo app is a mobile marketplace that allows users to buy and sell second-hand items as well as chat with other buyers and sellers in their area. The app has been downloaded over a million times and the app will be tracking the listings on the app as a metric. Letgo is also running a paid media and influencer campaign in conjunction with the tool, and asking people to share their own custom ads using the hashtag #letgocommercializer.

I Just Let Go With the @letgo app:Try It & letgo! Dog not included! #ad #letgocommercializer https://t.co/3xw9LRiUll pic.twitter.com/QJMa0hX9jK

— MelanysGuydlines ® (@Melanyb12) April 21, 2016