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Viral Video Ad Round-Up: March 12, 2012

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Seedwell Creative Studio

Dollar Shave Club – Our Blades Are F***ing Great

We cannot tell you how many times we’ve cursed the razor-and-blade sales racket through the hygiene aisle of the supermarket. The number is too great and so are the expletives.

That’s why this ad from brand-new online service Dollar Shave Club is viral not only for its Old Spice-esque sense of humor, but also for its on-point critique of the current state of shaving services. “Do you think your razor blade needs a vibrating handle, a flashlight, a scratcher and 10 blades? Your handsome-ass grandfather had one blade and polio,” Mike Dubin says in his hilarious matter-of-fact sales pitch. TIME magazine informed us that Dubin has a background in digital marketing and was also a part of the comedy troupe Upright Citizens Brigade. He’s a one-man dream team for viral success.
The spot is filmed in the supposed Dollar Shave Club warehouse where Dubin introduces himself to viewers in front of an entire wall of dollar toys and crap. He catches our attention by telling us their blades aren’t good – (pause for dramatic effect) – they’re f***ing great. From there, Mike’s pitch includes a couple of unsuccessful attempts at using office supplies for effect, a toddler giving a shave, a dancing bear and an endearing female employee who Dubin refers to repeatedly as Alejandro. Oh and let’s not forget the dollar dance party at the end there. Go ahead and laugh for yourself:

Invisible Children – KONY 2012

While the Dollar Shave Club was the funniest viral video this week, its 3 million views are chump change in comparison to the 50 million views on the somber ad KONY 2012 from the non-profit activist group Invisible Children. The video was intended to make Lord’s Resistance Army leader Joseph Kony infamous worldwide for his criminal activities exploiting and killing Ugandan children. At the rate at which the ad has been seen and spread, the effort was no doubt successful.

Millions of people now know a little bit more about Uganda and its plight, but do they know the whole story? The Invisible Children campaign also generated a fast and forceful backlash, attacking their financial accountability, their over-simplified portrayal of Uganda’s government and struggles as well as their violin-and-heart-string video itself, playing on viewers lack of understanding and leading them to believe that simply spreading the video is doing the cause justice.
It is not a black and white issue … except that it is. Well-intentioned western aid has been known to do more harm than good and it is a huge mistake to see any African country as helpless and in need of saving. On the other hand, as the video spread, so did the discussion of its merits or lack thereof. This article from The Atlantic points out how wonderful that arena for discussion truly is and in that light, it is undeniable that KONY 2012 is a very successful use of social media in advertising.

International OCD Foundation – Case Study

We take you now from a 30-minute effort to enlighten, to quite possibly the most effective 1-second ad ever made. The International OCD Foundation, rather than explaining the effects of obsessive-compulsive disorder at length, used a 1-second text-only ad to demonstrate the frustrations people with OCD experience first hand. The ad is too short to read in one viewing so, as the title explains (and even challenges) “You may have to press play more than once …”

In a culture where obsessive-compulsive disorder is often used in jest, teasing your mother who insists on color-coding her spice rack or used to apologetically explain your need to have every pen in the office cup pointed downward, the OCD Foundation chose to take just one of the more serious symptoms of the disorder and make viewers experience a bit of that frustration themselves. Of course we all pressed pause, but it still took a couple views to do that and, well, you get the point. The ad cost practically nothing to produce but garnered plenty of attention due to its unique, user-focused approach.

GQ – British Comedy Special

Paul Rudd, Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, Ken Jeong, Robin Williams and … well, we could’ve sworn there were some British comedians somewhere in this funny, little trailer for the upcoming GQ magazine UK Comedy Special.

Regardless (oh! Ricky Gervais! There’s one), the gaggle of funny celebrities combining silly sounds and funny faces into a (pretty darned good) iPad beatbox is fun enough for repeat viewings (and listenings). Combine that with Olivia Wilde shaking her own boobs as though they’re talking and now this video has been seen by men the world over. It’s too bad that Wilde’s boobs are the only female featured in the Comedy Special, but that’s our only gripe with what is otherwise a unique and creative viral commercial.

Converse – Do Ya Thing

Through product placement and beloved brand sentiment, Converse has made their shoes a timeless wardrobe staple that appears will never loose their cool. At this point, the brand barely needs to advertise as it seems like they do just fine putting out a few new styles and prints to covet in the windows of Foot Locker every month.

This ad isn’t even an ad really, it’s well-produced, fun to watch music video for the cartoon hip hop group The Gorillaz, who also seem to do no wrong. There are a couple sightings of the shoe here and there as well as one prominent shoe to the head scene, but there’s also so much going on in the video with the characters, the cameos (Andre 3000 is a main player) and the crap strewn about (including a few monsters and a bowl full of ears) that the brand is not overt. The Gorrilaz are so popular, and their work is so anticipated, that Converse got their name in not only advertising press but music news as well, with thousands of fans enjoying their ad.

Viral Video Ad Weekly Round-Up: March 5, 2012

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Seedwell Creative Studio

Mercedes-Benz – Invisible

Not all publicity stunts are created equal. Often times, attempts at organic press coverage confuse potential customers more than lure them, usually because the marketer’s message is lost in the mess of the stunt. Whether Mercedes’ invisible car will help sell the brand’s new fuel-cell, electric vehicle is yet to be seen, but the message is decidedly effective. Their point? The new fuel-cell vehicle from Mercedes leaves no trace, has no impact on the environment and is therefore invisible as far as the planet is concerned. Granted, there are some gaping holes in their logic, but covering the car in camera-equipped LED lights so as to mask it in the image of its surroundings is nevertheless a memorable message speaking to sustainability as well as modernity. The German automaker spent a week around the country engaging the public in this mobile message and since Saturday the ad has already tracked over a million views.

The Guardian – Three Little Pigs

You’ve got a British news source that has been in publication since the 19th century. You’ve got a fable as old as time itself. And then you’ve got this week’s brilliant viral advert combining the two into something entirely new. For years now The Guardian, like many other standard print publications, has been reporting earnings losses, so it thrills us to see them taking this creative, incredibly effective approach illustrating the evolution of news and their role in the news of the future. In the ad, The Guardian reports, online and in print, the murder of the Big Bad Wolf. Social media allows citizens to chime in on the case with opinions, observations and even new information and the story changes before our eyes from three innocent pigs defending themselves to a foreclosure scandal in which the wolf was framed. Coverage combined with national debate spark citizen dissent and riots, all the while the ever-present news source is involved and informative, engaging its readers to be a part of the news and see all sides of the story. It appears that perhaps we’ve been hearing the story of the three little pigs from a less-than reliable source.

Kia Optima – Dunkology

Will Ferrell and the team behind Funny or Die have been bottling up their viral magic and selling it like hot cakes to brands like K-Swiss, Denny’s and Pepsi. The site is becoming a major player in creating one of the few forms of marketing anyone cares about anymore: viral advertisements. With this week’s Dunkology ad and subsequent interview (is that a two-for-one price, FOD?) Kia joined the list of viral brands on the web’s top comedy source. Jeff Goldblum is obviously someone to trust, especially when wearing a lab coat (sometimes I think Jeff Goldblum was born in a lab coat) and since he is now an expert in “dunkology,” it makes perfect sense that basketball star Blake Griffin would take part in a stunt where a Kia drives over his head (sort of) to dunk a basketball. Dunkology 101. The ad is funny, but the post-stunt interview with comedian Wyatt Cenac is hilarious. Links to Funny Or Die below:
Kia Optima Dunk
Post-Dunk Interview

Carl’s Jr – Drive-In

Okay … Let’s see … What is there to say about the new Carl’s Jr. ad featuring Kate Upton? You see this photo here? It’s even hotter than that. It has something to do with a spicy burger. Yeah, that’s it. There’s a burger and there’s some jalapeños and it’s so spicy that this year’s Sports Illustrated cover model gets all sweaty (in the attractive way, of course, not the real-life way) and writhes around in her convertible while eliciting stares at the drive-in. She takes clothes off, we watch over and over. I thought videos of this nature weren’t allowed on YouTube, but Carl’s Jr. must have found a loophole. Sexiest. Burger. Ever.

Bamboo Sushi – The Story of Sushi

‘The Story of Sushi’ is an artisan advertisement. Part PSA, part self-promotion, this tale about the state of the world’s fishing industry took 7 months to create and produce. Feature length Hollywood films are done in less. The miniatures were all crafted by hand specifically for this advertisement for Portland’s Bamboo Sushi. Nothing gets the slow-food message across like a painstaking production process. We saw a similar throw-back approach with the stop-action video ‘The Joy of Books’ from Toronto’s Type bookstore, romanticizing our connection to pages and stories, and they too received lots of attention (not to mention 3 million views) for their heartwarming viral ad. ‘The Story of Sushi,’ however, is less heartwarming than it is alarming and informative. It is an attempt to wake consumers up from eating in ignorance and consider the source of their seafood. The problem is, few of us know anything about how the fish we eat was caught, but that is also why this restaurant’s message works so well. Because at the very least, we now know that we should care, that Bamboo Sushi cares and that their tables can be trusted. The time spent on this production was absolutely worth it. We wouldn’t be surprised to find ‘The Story of Sushi on next year’s TED compilation of Ads Worth Spreading.

The Story of Sushi from Bamboo Sushi on Vimeo.

Viral Video Ad Weekly Round-Up: February 27, 2012

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Seedwell Creative Studio

Audio-Technica – “Audio 911”

Audio-Technica knew what they were doing when they brought in Marquese “NonStop” Scott for their Solid Bass headphones ad. The brand is a perfect match for the dance phenomenon whose Pumped Up Kicks Dubstep video has over 35 million YouTube views. Scott and his dancing have already been featured on the Ellen Show and CBS but it was only natural for NonStop to team up with a bass heavy brand like Audio-Technica. We like how subtly and cleverly the brand is used in the Audio 911 commercial. The headphones are perfect as a spoof defibrillator in the E.R., but it’s the music (dubstep to be precise) that is needed to bring Marquese back to life after having “no beat” left in his body. At over 3.5 minutes, this advertisement is meant for the web. There’s a clever introductory plot, but the focus of the video is on Marquese Scott’s dancing, a smart move considering that’s what has made him a success. One YouTube comment sums it up: “Wow, I didn’t even know this was a commercial.”

Dallas ADDYs 2012 – “The Mural”

There was a whole series of ads for this year’s Dallas ADDY awards, each one hilariously “ad obsessed.” It’s not surprising that the advertisements for an ad industry award show were entirely on point, but Dallas outdid themselves. Take a look for yourself at the array of disturbing depictions of our fellow advertising minds here.

We had to narrow it down however and the dad in “The Mural” is just too good … Or too wrong might be more like it. A mom finds her adorable toddler scribbling an interpretive masterpiece on the wall. When daddy comes in the room, we expect him to be peeved about the mess but, while the father is definitely disappointed, he isn’t upset about the wall. He approaches the child seriously, berating his sloppiness and lack of talent at 4 years old. The poor boy loves his daddy but, alas, has no knowledge of print advertising concerns like kerning, ligature, and typeface and so the intensely sarcastic father is sure his son has no future. “Keep it up and you’ll end up a copywriter,” he says. Ouch.

Another gem from the series is “The Sneeze.” It’s a straightforward depiction of a an ad-obsessed woman who desperately needs a tissue (we repeat, desperately) but the only paper she has is a napkin with mock-up notes scribbled all over. She continues to ride the bus, committed as she is, with snot dripping down past her mouth.

Hyundai Azera – “Modern Life”

Hyundai played it pretty low key for the Super Bowl this year. Their Rocky themed ad didn’t receive much attention at all after Chevy, Honda, Kia and Volkswagen pulled out all the stops. This leads us to believe that rather than get lost in the circus of Super Bowl spots, Hyundai waited in the wings for a far less expected Academy Awards debut. They produced a clever and colorful pair of ads for Oscar night that beloved director Wes Anderson shot for the brand. The spots would have been underappreciated by a football audience but they’ve instead been applauded by the film-loving crowd of the Oscars. Both are beautifully shot in the director’s signature style. In “Modern Life,” Anderson’s uses his knack for scenes of perfectly orchestrated chaos to depict a father trying to prepare what looks like a five-course dinner in a house full of rambunctious kids and retro clutter. His wife calmly gives him instructions over the phone whilst a brood of creative children bang drums, slam doors and run around dressed like it’s Halloween. Pan to the serene driveway setting just outside where mom is relaxing in her Azera, pretending to be stuck in traffic as Hyundai muses that they may have made the new car a little too comfortable.

“Talk To My Car” is everything Anderson. We see all of the retro colors, childhood scenery and chopped-up-doll-house camera work for which Anderson is known. Classic imaginary machines like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’s flying contraption, an underwater craft that also serves as a nod to Life Aquatic and a Knight Rider knockoff each play a part in this kitschy commercial for Hyundai’s Blue Link technology that allows drivers to live the dream and finally talk to our cars.

Miracle Whip – “The Village”

We think this brand’s self-aware approach to changing consumer opinion is the best way to go. The ad is a literary spoof on the Scarlett Letter, using the well-known fact that Miracle Whip lovers are often forced to be ashamed of their brand loyalty. Miracle Whip is a brand who doesn’t take themselves too seriously. After Stephen Colbert dissed the sweet and tangy mayo alternative, they bought every ad slot during an episode as if to say “We will not be ignored.” In their Oscar ad debut, Miracle Whip urges viewers to “keep an open mouth” but they also spark up the decades old debate over the differences between mayonaisse and Miracle Whip which is just as successful a tactic. So I could sit here and defend Miracle Whip for the ways it pairs with avocado and bologna like no other, but why fight with you, stubborn, judgmental, fatty-mayo-lover … when I could be at lunch?

Viral Video Ad Weekly Round-Up: February 20, 2012

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Seedwell Creative Studio

Google – Valentine’s Day Doodle

Google’s animated ads have become increasingly clever and cute over the years. Like the ever-changing Google logo on the search page itself, the “Doodles” are also always related to current events because Doodles like this Valentine’s Day short are a fun way for the search giant to keep current. The little boy in the ad searches online to find gifts for the jump-roping girl he wants to woo, but she turns her nose up at everything he comes up with. Finally he returns with a jump rope of his own and she sees him in a new light. To be even more topical, Google added cute animated couples at the end including a dog and a cat, a cookie and some milk, and a man and man. For the soundtrack, Google used the song “Cold, Cold Heart” by Tony Bennett, an artist whose name was also trending on Valentine’s Day. It was quickly the top trending ad online, garnering over 30,000 shares in 24 hours.

Sharpie – The Wedding

Sharpies are an office staple almost as much as staples themselves. This brand didn’t need to introduce their product or protect its credibility, so instead they chose to use the ad to highlight (no pun intended) the kind of shenanigans that their indelible markers are not intended for. The church full of wedding attendees are all displaying very un-wedding like emotions. The father of the bride is so angry his wife has to hold him back, the bridesmaids are irritated and shaking their heads, the groomsmen are doing a terrible job trying to hold back their laughter and the bride is wringing her fists around the bouquet as she says “I do.” Finally we see the groom, his face covered in Sharpie, the word ‘boobs’ scrawled across his forhead. If this were real life, we all know what would be drawn on his cheek. Drawing on friend’s faces with Sharpies is classic college humor (not recommended for bachelor parties) and a brand that recognizes the sillier side of their product is a brand that people feel good about using. Way to go, Sharpie.

Tiense Suiker – Home Sweet Home

Belgium sugar company Tiense Suiker created this very sweet (the puns are unstoppable today) ad depicting the journey of their sugar cube hero, T-man. A (careless) family out on a holiday ends up leaving many of their picnic supplies behind, including their sugar cubes. Lucky for them, these sugar cubes truly care. They transform into the T-man who hikes across forest, desert and pavement, walking and hitch-hiking until he finally gets sent in a package to his home address. The video is well produced and features beautiful shots of the country and poignant shots of the T-man in his travels. We love how polite he looks while sitting in the passenger seat, hands crossed, listening to the truck driver who picks him up. The upbeat ditty about coffee and tea is also a nice touch that keeps the viewer interested for the full minute and a half and also keeps the ad lighthearted. Sure the sugar would’ve dissolved in the rain he trudged through and sure we wouldn’t want the weathered, dirty T-man to slip back into our box of sugar to drink, but reality checks have never been good for storytelling and ‘Home Sweet Home’ is a great little story.

Ecotricity – Collapsing Cooling Towers

Ecotricity is a British renewable energy company that we wonder how many people had heard of before their ad went viral last week. Their motto, People:Power, encourages consumers to vote with their energy bills. The ad takes the ugly cooling towers of nuclear power plants and makes them into cute, British characters drinking tea and catching some zzz’s. We did wonder why Ecotricity would make the entities we’re meant to hate into adorable cartoons but that didn’t stop the ad from catching more than a million views nor did it stop anyone from getting the very clear message of the ad. The tea and operatic soundtrack do give the impression that the towers are meant to be cute but outdated. By the end of the ad, all of the cooling towers have collapsed and are replaced with the cleaner alternative of wind turbines. The “Big Six” energy companies have a reputation for being involved in ethical violations and an unwillingness to move forward with alternative energy solutions and Ecotricity’s ad is a call to action for the public and their potential customers.

Central Institute of Technology – It’s a Snap!

Henry and Aaron are an Australian comedy duo who have long been working towards notoriety on the web with their funny videos for the last couple of years now. They teamed up with Perth’s Central Institute of Technology to create this ad as spoof on the prototypical university ad. The result is undeniably funny and also more than just a bit disturbing. Aaron uses the “It’s a snap” advertising cliché to transport Henry and himself around campus, showing off CIT’s feature’s and departments until Aaron hits a bit of a snag with his travel technique. The commercial (probably NSFW) has already been featured on popular viral websites like Dooby Brain and Viral Viral Video and it looks like Henry and Aaron might finally get the fame they’ve been joking about dreaming about.

Viral Video Ad Weekly Round-Up: February 13, 2012

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Seedwell Creative Studio

After more than a month of Super Bowl super ad hoopla we are feeling a bit gluttonous and very bloated. A hundred meaningless million-dollar spots and even more meaningless Clint Eastwood controversy? We needed a cleanse. So this week we combed the web for the more cultured side of commercials and we’re quite pleased with what we found.

Field Notes – “Red Blooded”

This web-based ad introduces the tried-and-true Field Notes notebook in its newest color: RED! What would usually be a fairly mundane debut of a new color was made instead into a sweet and genuine love note from Bryan, a Field Notes employee to his wife, Tracie. It’s simply shot and understated, with the camera focused solely on Bryan’s hands and the notebook itself in a medley of incarnations. The creative use of each page is actually an impressive display of Field Notes functionality, while the graphics and décor in the background add cute additional flair. Although we love the ad, we did make sure the Mrs. didn’t see it since Bryan is likely to make us all look like schmucks. Way to go, buddy.

Field Notes: Red Blooded from Coudal Partners on Vimeo.

7 For All Mankind – “Behind James”

We’re going to skip the “Behind James” jokes and instead coin an all new term in honor of this 7 For All Mankind ad teaser: Hipsterdelic. First of all, it’s directed by James Franco yet the actor is in almost every shot. Second of all, it’s non-stop, washed-out, camera-in-the-sunshine shots of frolicking well-dressed models set to an Italian western soundtrack. And finally, it ‘s a denim ad with James Franco. That being said, we think it’s entirely appropriate for the 7 For All Mankind brand which is known for laid-back good taste. The teaser has already generated buzz for the full-length film titled “Episodes of an Untitled Film.”

Kodachrome by Xander Robin

Our world is becoming more digital and more impatient every day. This short documentary, created and directed by Xander Robin, is a very necessary tribute to the life and death of Kodachrome, the first ever color film. Kodak discontinued the film (around the same time you downloaded Instagram) and will now specialize solely in digital printers and digital cameras. To create this poignant eulogy to the iconic color film, Robin uses beautiful Kodachrome shots, a soundtrack of Motown and opera and a very enlightening interview with the owner of Dwayne’s Photo, the last shop committed enough to develop the film.

KODACHROME 2010 from Xander Robin on Vimeo.

Social Media Week – “Future Hipsters”

The best viral advertisements are effective because they’re funny enough to get shared organically and often. We’re definitely glad to see Social Media Week succeed in making a spot clever enough to stir up viral buzz considering the International gathering is all about being savvy. The “Future Hipsters” video uses soft focus and mock interviews with elderly hipsters referencing trends from dubstep to kitty videos and suggesting that the Internet and social media allow us to know the future before it happens. It’s a funny, light-hearted take on where we’re headed culturally. We especially like the old conspiracy theorist insisting that everything that goes viral is rigged. YouTube promoted videos – we’re onto you …

Chipotle – “Back to the Start”

This animated commercial from Chipotle came out late last year but has started trending heavily since the Grammys. We’re impressed by just how effectively the spot uses Coldplay’s title song to depict Chipotle’s farm-raised message and also just how much more we loved it when sung by Willie Nelson. The ad starts with cute little piggies in confinement and uses some jarring, 1984 style imagery on the dark road to industrialist society before one conscientious farmer leads us all back to happy, free-range farm animals. Chipotle is already considered a friendlier brand in contrast to burger chains and Chinese take out. Their clever messages inscribed on take-away packaging and T-shirts are good enough to get customers sporting their schwag and we think this ad will further boost positive brand sentiment.

The Edge: What Makes A Video Viral – February 10, 2012

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Seedwell Creative Studio

Here at Seedwell, we specialize in the production of viral videos. It’s kind of our thing. Typically, the first things that come to mind when people hear the term “viral video” is some amateur uploading rainbows and anthropomorphic cats onto YouTube.

Fair enough. Those certainly count. Videos become viral because they’re what the people like and goshdarnit people love cats.

Seedwell, however, is all about quality productions. Our videos are created, often for a brand, with the intent of going viral and when we discuss our content with peers and potential customers there is always one inevitable question. Everyone is curious: How many views does a video need in order to be considered viral?

“Well, simpleton,” we say, “it’s not just about views.”

Okay, you’re right. We don’t call anyone “simpleton.” I’m just feeling snarky this morning.

It’s true that view counts are the most common measurement of virality. The number of views a video garners is definitely the first sign of how popular it is, but it’s not the only sign. View counts are also not as straightforward as you’d think. There are a few different metrics, layers of sorts, that when combined create the ultimate viral video.

But first, I know you’re concerned about view counts. How many does it take to be viral? A lot of people assume content is viral once it has reached 1 million views. Well, those are definitely viral, but it’s important to think of views within the entire landscape of YouTube.

There is a world of content uploaded to YouTube daily. An average of “48 hours of video a minute, 8 years of content a day” according to the site. Over 50% of YouTube content has less than 500 views. Tons of videos never get more than 100 or more than even 10 views in their little video lifetime.

So a video with a million views is obviously viral, but it’s also only in approximately the top .3% of all content on YouTube. Upwards of a million views is not at all common and it’s also not easy. According to Business Insider, with 10,000 clicks a video has reached the top 5% of YouTube. The crème de la crème of content: 10,000 views.

So the video has some attention. It’s a strong swimmer in the YouTube sea. Now what? You can boast that you’re video racked up 1,000 views, but did anyone enjoy it or find it interesting? Maybe the title was deceptive and viewers clicked because they expected to see Lebron James dunking, not a 14-yr-old dribbling. Maybe they didn’t even stick around for the whole video.

Part 2 of this discussion is where the Internet get interesting: Engagements (as in likes or comments, not marrying bacon) and sharing are both essential aspects of viral content. We’ll continue in our next installment of The Edge on Friday February 24th.

Til next time … Here are 10 of the wierdest TV ads ever: Would these have gone viral???

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