You're never too old
for a sandbox war

Spot Runner, the DIY TV spot creator for advertisers on a budget, is getting some competition — and it goes by Spotzer.

Based in Amsterdam, Spotzer has operated in Europe since April and is now launching in the US.

Like Spot Runner, Spotzer will help small and medium-size businesses make TV-quality spots for as little as $2,000 and run them locally from $500, according to AdWeek.

In addition to TV, spots can run online, out of home, and eventually via mobile.

Spotzer also claims its stock ads are of higher quality than Spot Runner, which has won awards for its creative and works in tangent with agencies and clients. Spotzer contracts with agencies, production houses, and independent filmmakers to create a library of 500 customizable ads.

But unlike Spot Runner, which serves markets across the board, Spotzer is skipping the "mom-and-pop" market for businesses that spend at least $40,000 and up to $2 million on advertising — ideally, heavy newspaper advertisers like furniture stores, retailers and recruiters.

A correspondence from manager Keith Wiley at Spot Runner asserts that Spot Runner feels no concern about Spotzer's entry in the US market.

"The fact is Spotzer announced it was entering the US market months ago and since then, it has made barely a dent," Wiley said.