IFC Goes LoCo for Local Advertising

If you don’t know them already, you will now, as Rhett & Link, seen above, take on their latest starring role as judges in the celebration of low-budget, local commercials in IFC’s launch of its first LoCos awards.

Voters are eligible for a $250 cash prize for casting ballots for the greatest stars, jingles, taglines, mascots, special effects and more, as the LoCos join a tradition of local advertising built on the shoulders of off-beat characters including New York’s hi-fi king Crazy Eddie, ice cream magnate Tom Carvel, and LA’s car painting pitchman Earl Scheib.

And then there are the ads themselves.

Gems include “Casket Man,” from Connecticut’s Colonial Funeral Home, and “Special Man” for Frankie and Johnny's Furniture in New Orleans —

Rhett & Link: Commercial Kings, which recently debuted on IFC, is a ten-episode docu-comedy following the zany misadventures of life-long buddies Rhett McLaughlin & Link Neal, as they travel the country creating local commercials.

The duo are LoCo veterans, having already given the world more than 200 web and television spots, viewed 90 million plus times, on their YouTube channel.

LoCo Categories  include:

• The Palme d’ LoCo:Best Local Commercial Overall
• Best Performance by an Animal or Child
• Best Original Song/Jingle
• The Jaw Dropper: Most Memorable Special Effect or Set Design
• The Star Swipe Award:  Best Use of Graphics
• The Hammie (Most Overly Dramatic Performance in a Local Commercial)
• Most Unforgettable Tagline
• Best Costume or Mascot
• The LoCo Golden Turkey: The commercial most in need of Rhett & Link’s help!
• The Lifetime Achievement Award:  Bestowed upon a memorable, and perhaps even deceased, local advert pitchperson legend.

To vote, submit a link to any local television commercial housed on YouTube or Vimeo and choose one or more categories for entry, once a day through July 20. For each ballot cast, fans enter a sweepstakes for one of ten $250 prizes – one of which will include the actual  costume worn by Roger, owner of the Presidential Carwash in this commercial created by Rhett & Link:

A real-time tally of votes will be featured on the contest site, with the top three vote-getters per category making the finals to be announced July 23, and winners announced on July 27.

So if you feel LoCo, cast your votes at locos.ifc.com.