Google – “Halloween Doodle”
This festive ad is courtesy of a very talented group of Google employees who carve the heck out of some gigantic pumpkins in this short stop motion video. Throughout the video there are employees that show up wearing costumes, exhibiting the fun corporate culture that seems to exist at Google. There is even a cameo by a full-sized stick figure that people interact with during the 40 second video. Google posted this video without a view count, but it has gone viral based on it’s peer-to-peer share count (almost 7,000 in two days). Google has been producing many videos in-house lately that are simple but fun (remember the Ice-Cream Sandwich video?) and this one is no exception.
GoPro – “HD Hero2″
Sometimes product testimonials aren’t always videos filled with talking heads and boring announcers lulling you to sleep with a series of statistics. GoPro, the maker behind the tiny camera with which adventure-seeking enthusiasts choose to record their near-death activities, has released this video to showcase the capabilities of their new HD camera. And let’s be honest, if you aren’t watching this video in HD, you’re doing yourself a disservice. The music track carries this long viral through the beautiful imagery and insane stunts that make up this ad. It’s worth noting that the biggest improvement in the camera is the 120fps, which allows for smooth slow motion. The product placement is relatively low in this ad. There are images of the product at the beginning and end, and there is never any question about who this ad is for, however, there is no call to action of overt persuasion. But with a video like this, the product speaks for itself and any dialogue would just distract from the awesomeness that is base-jumping, extreme skiing, etc. After four days this video has almost 800,000 views, a testament to the quality of this ad. If we assume that most of the imagery was captured by a professional videographer (especially those stunning opening images) to showcase the best of the camera’s abilities, we’d be wrong. According to GoPro “most of the commercials were shot by our customers…”[sic], which provides legitimacy to the quality of the camera. This particular video is a compilation of footage captured by professional athletes and filmmakers and the results are fantastic.
NZTA – “Legend”
New Zealand has made a few appearances on our viral round up in the past, most of their ads have been very creative, but not necessarily amusing. However, this ad is both. Legend, the title of this ad, describes a man who confronts his friend about being too drunk to drive and describes the attributes of a person who will stand up for what they know is right, even at the risk of being made fun of in their peer group. This theme is not an unusual one when it comes to drunk driving PSAs, however, what is different is the cutaways that are used up until the confrontation. The ghost of the main character’s friend offering him chips, or the main character’s family asking him to help put together a puzzle are quickly cut in and quite funny. The side banter of the supporting cast and cavalier attitude of the ad as a whole are things that are seldom seen in drunk driving adverts in the U.S., which traditionally focus on fear to scare people into not driving. One of the most interesting things about this ad is the ending, which shows the friends continuing to party with the assumption that they won’t drink and drive. The PSA isn’t an anti-drinking ad, it’s a pro-drink safely ad, which might be more effective depending on the cultural norms of New Zealand.
Jordan – “Love the Game”
It’s difficult to say for sure, but this Jordan ad may be as much a promotion for his gear as it is for the NBA to get itself together and try to salvage what’s rest of the season. The entire pre-season has been ruined and now at least the first two weeks of the season have been cancelled. In this viral, NBA stars such as Carmello Anthony and Dwayne Wade are featured playing anywhere and everywhere they can because “they love the game”. It’s unlikely that Jordan is trying to pull off a positive P.R. stunt with this ad in an attempt to persuade fans to believe that NBA athletes aren’t selfish, however, there is very little branding in the ad and no call to action. The viral is entertaining, however, and even with a running time of almost two minutes it remains entertaining because of the constantly changing scenery and quality of play. Sports politics aside, this is an entertaining video featuring some well-known basketball players trying to convince us that they play for the love of the game.
Contrex – “Contrexperience”
Contrex, the maker of a French designer bottled water, claims that their product contains calcium and advertises their product directly to women. This ad is very clearly directed toward women, and with six million views on the original video (there are two, an English version and a French version) women are responding well to the ad. The thirty-foot tall stripping man could have something to do with this, but that is unlikely seeing as he is made out of lights (and probably designed in After Effects). What is appealing about this ad is the creativity and fun involved in it. The music is fun and upbeat, however, the crowd adds a certain amount of organic energy that raises the energy level of the spot even higher. In the end, Contrex is promoting diet, exercise, and a healthy lifestyle through the use of their water.
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