I was just interviewed by The Wall Street Journal today about a Viral Video campaign we did for a client. Apparently, they liked it. They were curious to know what makes a viral video viral. Though one can never truly know for sure, it’s obviously got to be something exceptionally interesting, or exceptionally funny. And, I suppose getting national press in WSJ doesn’t hurt either.
See another.
As totally cheesy and formatted as this spot is, it actually features a great product demo. So, it may be more appealing than you might think … if you live in Minnesota and watch the Fishing Channel.
What do you think of this Wunder Boner spot?
Millions of YouTube hits, worldwide press, and now book and movie deals. Do you think it’s mainly the old media (TV) or new media (YouTube, etc) that’s been the driving force behind this media frenzy?
In an attempt to create some viral online buzz for the launch of its 2009 1-Series coupe, BMW did something different. They also did something fake.
Via BMW films, they created a fake documentary, with a fake director, around a fake German town filled with fake German people (who even had fake teeth) who were blathering on about a fake celebration (“Rampenfest”) for a giant fake ramp that was supposed to launch (literally) the car to the US. After about 20-minutes of the 35 min video I’d seen enough. And, in that 20 minutes, I don’t recall a word about the car.
If this attempt at viral marketing was targeting ad bloggers like me and ad award show judges, then they hit their mark. (Apparently, it was the darling of the award shows) But I’m not sure how many serious car buyers, over 30, it impressed. I’d be happy to be proven wrong so, if anyone knows, please tell me. Because with a storied heritage of German mechanical perfection, it escapes me as to why BMW would opt for silly gimmickry and fakery to try to sell their newest model.
So, what are your thoughts on this? Leave your comment on the “comment” link below.
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Image getting hit on the head by a postcard about going back to church?
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See more about Follis Guerrilla Marketing.
It’s an advertisers dream to have their product ride a major pop-culture wave for a low investment. The latest example of this is a viral video from a 31-year old, ex-video game designer, Matt Harding.
The “Dancing Matt” video that Harding created (initially in ’04) is a quirky but very charming example of video self-expression that had nothing to do with any product until Stride Gum contacted Harding prompted by the growing viral buzz. Just to have its brand associated with the video, Stride offered to pay Harding’s expenses for an upgraded version and several months of world travel — not exactly an easy thing to turn down if you’re an unemployed 31-year old, ex-video game designer with a travel fetish.
Two years and over 10 million views later, Stride Gum is reaping the benefit of major viral buzz and national PR from their association. A great case study, right? I’m not so sure.
“Exactly what connection the company sees between gum and a guy dancing, but not chewing, remains a bit of a mystery,” says the New York Times. The answer is that it has no connection. But what does it matter if sales go up? Stride reports an 8% increase in sales since their video sponsorship. What they may not make so obvious is that Stride Gum, which is owned by the London-based global confectionery Cadbury, is also running an independent, multi-million dollar, TV ad campaign. So how much of that 8%, which isn’t huge, can honestly be attributed to the video connection?
The video is truely unique, uplifting and memorable. And, kudos to Matt Harding for following his muse and getting a free ride on Cadbury. But, if you want to see a true example of smart, successful viral marketing, check out Blendtec’s “Will it Blend?” or Jib Jab’s “Bush/Kerry”.
Last week I had the pleasure of meeting Alan Levy, the founder and CEO of a very cool new media called BlogTalkRadio. Check it out:
