Dive Brief:

• Allstate’s "Mayhem DIY" campaign sought real-life misadventures for ads featuring its Mayhem character. The winning entry was submitted by Caleb Gauff and garnered one-third of the vote.
• People voted on the top four "DIY fail" entries on an Allstate microsite and Twitter through Jan. 6, with the winning entry’s ad running during Monday night’s college football championship game.
• The four chosen entries will become the basis of Allstate’s latest campaign featuring its “Mayhem” character.

I’m @GauffDrops. Get an early look at my DIY fail video. Don’t mind the splinters. Vote at https://t.co/mYRY4IZFjM https://t.co/S3Tov8So1L

— Mayhem (@Mayhem) January 6, 2016

Dive Insight:

With "Mayhem DIY," Allstate set out to find for four real-life "DIY fail" incidents to become the basis of the insurance company's newest "Mayhem" ad campaign. The resulting ads have been running during college football’s bowl games, and the winning ad ran during Monday night’s college championship game between Alabama and Clemson. 

Pam Hollander, vice president of marketing for Allstate Insurance Company, said in a statement, "A home is the biggest investment most people make in their lifetimes and our agents play an important role in helping customers get an insurance policy with coverage to meet their needs. Through these new commercials, Mayhem helps spotlight some vulnerabilities people face when attempting a project to improve or renovate their home and highlights the importance of understanding your coverage."

The winning entry featured Gauff and his father cutting down a front yard tree that ended with large branches accidentally falling on their house. Hollander said voters were engaged and interested with all four final entries, but Gauff's may have hit home because it depicted an experience people could relate to.

"Using real DIY stories sourced from social media as inspiration for this campaign validates that these are common issues that anyone could face. We are reminding people to have the right home insurance coverage before you embark on a DIY project," Hollander told Marketing Dive.

User-generated content (UGC) has become a source for marketing content for as large of scale as a national TV campaign, to testimonials and reviews on the website. Kim Celestre, senior director product marketing for Jive Software, told Marketing Dive last fall that UGC helps marketers see what type of messaging resonates with target audiences, and ultimately helps them better tailor their interactions. 

"Companies that combine the power of user generated content with personalization will really win in 2016," Celestre predicted.