advertising? do-it-yourself

Advertising isn’t orthopedic surgery. Or nuclear physics. Or parachute instruction. Or any of the other jobs completed by regular people in ads from Fallon for Holiday Inn Express.

So a new contest sponsored by the discount chain of hotels should be a breeze for regular patrons.

The “Express Your Smarts” promotion encourages people to submit ideas for a commercial in the Minneapolis shop’s campaign, which depicts people accomplishing feats beyond their knowledge because they became smarter by staying at the hostelry.

The contest requires entrants to submit a written script that follows the same theme and leads to the line, “No, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.”

Entries will be judged by a panel that includes Fallon copywriter Tom Rosen and art director Dave Damman.