Thanks to innovations like TiVO and the popularity of Internet-based voting, the end of traditional media advertising is nigh -- and that means companies are looking for novel ways to involve consumers as they think up new marketing campaigns around consumer products like toothpaste. The New York Times takes a look at companies like Crest, Staples and Crayola that are experimenting with consumer-driven marketing campaigns.

According to a brand consultant in New York, "This [trend] comes with the inherent declining power of traditional media advertising. All marketers today are seeking different ways to market their products."