Apple, long the leader in word of mouth marketing, is taking it up a notch.  Now they are giving users a way to tell the world - through traditional media - what they think about their iPhones and iPods.

If you have been watching the World Series (go Sox!) you've seen these commercials - normal humans who have used their iPhones to do some uncommon things.  The subliminal message: get an iPhone and you too will be able to do amazing things.  The sub-subliminal message: tell us what you've done with your iPhone and you too can be in a commercial on national television.  (Gotta tell ya, I'd sure like the opportunity, who wouldn't?)

And now word is out that Apple is giving a fan who created his own iPhone touch commercial he created just for the YouTube community, his own day in the sun. Apple's own ad agency has commissioned a professional version of this home-brew add to run on national television.  Apple is really tapping the creative juices of it's user base, already super-concentrated with creative professionals and amateurs getting them to tell the rest of the world what it feels like to be an Apple customer.  Fantastic marketing.

UPDATE: Game 4 - Redsox winning 4-1 and Apple just ran the commercial listed above.  Now available on Apple.com here.