Facebook vs. IAC Beer Pong Match: Let the Trash Talking Begin

May 13th, 2008

By Kyle Austin

Remember when the Wall Street Journal ran a story on beer pong on page one, shortly after Rupert took over? I do, I chuckled at the expense of a few friendly Journal contacts.

Remember it was that ridiculous piece that looked at the entrepreneurs looking to make money off of my favorite “Beer Olympics” event.

“These guys aren’t exactly Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. But Messrs. Wright and Johnson, both 22 years old, are part of a new wave of young people trying to make money tapping into their peers’ devotion to beer pong, a cross between ping-pong and beer chugging. As beer-pong season hits a peak with the start of the school year, these beer-pong entrepreneurs are running tournaments and peddling customized beer-pong tables, balls and apparel.”

Well the Valleywag has stolen the Journal’s beat on beer pong and reports that even entrepreneurs with slightly bigger ventures have interest in the old college pastime:

“We hear a contest of beer pong — the drinking game involving ping pong balls, Solo cups and Milwaukee’s Best — has been scheduled between Mark Zuckerberg’s finest and the New York-based, IAC-backed CollegeHumor.”

CollegeHumor and Connected Ventures cofounder Ricky Van Veen is starting the smack talk early for Thursday’s match and he wasn’t afraid to take a low blow and hit Facebook where it really hurts - Its inability to affectively leverage advertisers and create click-throughs.

“Dear Facebook, Looking forward to Thursday. Your winning percentage will be even lower than your click-through rates. Love, CollegeHumor.”

Here’s hoping they get Barry Diller and Sheryl Sandberg on the field for this. Maybe they can discuss ways to target demographics that actually have disposable income.

Did I mention Van Veen does a mean John Mayer impression in the often linked-to parody of a Steve Jobs’ speech.

Entry Filed under: Digital media relations, Technology and Innovation