There’s no argument over the most viral branded video of the past few weeks: Google’s “Project Glass: One day …” has racked up a million views for every day it has lived on the Internet, igniting a wildfire of techie-dream-buzz and a boatload of much more entertaining spoofs. That being said, if you’ve found this blog, you’ve seen that ad. Any day now, you’ll be talking to your Google glasses while your Google car drives itself to whatever monitor you get paid to search Google on. Meanwhile, for entertainment’s sake, we’re going to forge ahead to the rest of last month’s note-worthy viral advertisments.
Neistat for Nike – Make It Count:
Director, film-maker, TV star, educator, man of the people, whistle-blower … There isn’t a hat that New York’s Casey Neistat can’t wear. Most recently, he’s added rogue advertiser to the talent collection, taking Nike’s Fuel Band for a trip around the world. The Nike brand invited Neistat to the Fuel Band’s star-studded launch event and approached him soon afterwards to create a movie/advertisement for their newest product.
Neistate took the Fuel Band’s tagline “Life is a sport. Make it count.” to heart and used Nike’s ad funding to embody their motto by spending it all on 10 days worth of world travel with his pal. The result is a pretty montage of famous destinations and quotations in the spirit of “Carpe Diem.”
The main attribute of Neistate’s viral success was his own claim that he’d gone rogue on Nike’s dime. It’s a twist that benefits both the brand and the film-maker. I don’t think Neistate was deviating far from Nike’s original intention: a video showing “what ‘Life is a Sport, Make It Count’ means,” but with this angle Niestate owns the video effectively more than Nike does and keeps his rogue reputation.
safersex4seniors.org PSA - Safe Sex for Seniors:
Little known fact: The elderly are straight up hedonists. Okay, maybe you knew that. Old age is a permission slip for all the Ferris Bueller-esque antics you may have passed up for weary responsibilities in your past, but the free-for-all is getting out of hand in senior communities and meccas like Florida where the rate of STD infection has risen 71%.
This Safe Sex for Seniors PSA doesn’t shy away from the topic of old people having sex. In fact, it gives us tantric visuals. There are many ways to do it, says the script as your pappy is taking granny like a wheelbarrow, but only one safe way. Seniors, they remind us, aren’t exempt from using condoms. While the ad borders on shock, it also leans towards hilarious, which has undoubtedly helped this video rise to the top of Unruly’s viral chart in less than a week.
Nintendo 3DS - Joel Mchale Goes Viral:
Everyone’s talking about viral videos, (including us). Watching them, sharing them, talking about them and as often as possible, making them. Nintendo has been paying attention. They’re last attempt at virality, the 100-year old woman who swears by her Nintendo DS did fairly well as a seemingly organic video documenting a supposedly real story, but this time they’re aiming for success head-on with a star at the helm.
Joel McHale plays a very meta-marketing tool in the ad and explains to Nintendo how this whole viral thing works. He needs baby pandas and an intern to punch in the gut. “If I’m gonna do a commercial, I don’t want it to feel like a commercial” he says before bringing in the branded banners, bikini babes and life sized Mario and Luigi. Subtle, Winger.
AMC – A Dramatic Surprise on a Quiet Square:
People are watching less television, opting out of more ads and becoming increasingly critical of the marketing being shoved in their faces on a daily basis. In turn, advertisers are getting more creative, not only through viral campaigns but also via the most in-your-face marketing of all – publicity stunts. I was a huge fan of last month’s Generous Store from Anthony Berg and this month AMC has joined in on the fun with an over-the-top drama-filled stunt “in a quiet square.”
Passerbys were lured by a big red button that said “Push for more drama” and as soon as they took the bait, the antics began. Helicopters, hold-ups, motorcycles, ambulances, babes of both genders all flood into the scene as if every show on AMC started convulsing and multiplying right then and there.
A good publicity stunt is a two-for these days because not only can it garner word of mouth and organic press, but the video can easily go viral as well and who needs a commercial when you’ve got all that?
Coke – Hug Me Machine:
Speaking of publicity stunts, we enjoyed this one as well. There isn’t a ton to be said about it: It’s a Coke machine that dispenses free sodas when you give it a hug. (Hopefully it’s being sanitized regularly). But it’s worth a write-up because its simplicity is genius. It’s perfect for Coca-Cola’s friendly, ubiquitous branding. People have been having “a Coke and a smile,” while holding hands and singing kumbaya across the globe since the Mad Men days and this little gimmick actually gets people to hug the brand. I mean, really? People wouldn’t have the same giggles hugging a DVD dispenser. Coke wins again.