Are Viral Videos Really Just Adverts in Disguise?
We spend a lot of time here at Republic pushing the idea of community and getting the message out organically. It’s the enthusiasm for a subject that helps drive content, not just the brand name. Once, that was the idea behind viral videos but these days they just seem to be an extension of TV advertising, or are they?
Viral Video: ‘A video clip that gains widespread popularity through the process of Internet sharing, typically through email or Instant messaging, blogs and other media sharing websites.’ Source: Wikipedia
There was a time when viral video campaigns felt organic and about community and the best ones still work on the principle of getting the message out there. However, the latest crop, to my mind at least, seem to be little more than adverts better suited to a cinema audience than the internet.
The problem seems to be that Ad agencies have gotten involved and that means every increasing budgets and higher expectations. The latest two videos that seem to have taken this approach are both about laptops. I like both, for quite different reasons, but neither strike me as anything other than advertising.
The MSI ‘guy catches laptop in butt’ video has that ’share’ appeal vital to virals as it’s simply a corny joke executed really really well. Everyone finds toilet humour funny on some level and this hits that chord nicely – I’m just not sure how many people will remember which notebook, or brand, it is that’s being advertised. Conversely, the latest Sony S.M.A.A campaign leaves its pay-off until the end – it’s not until you’ve sat through this mini-drama that we get to see it’s for a Sony VAIO after all!
Now, I’m not going to tell anyone how to spend their budgets but as community and sharing information is what we do daily on NokNok, there are far more cost-effective and informative ways to get that message out there. However, if viral video is a key part of getting that message out then one of the more successful, in my mind, of late has been setting the Nokia 3720 Classic in jelly! It’s quick, to the point and really has that viral appeal.
Viral marketing can work and works really well but it shouldn’t be the only part of a marketing campaign, it should compliment the other work you’re carrying out online on a daily basis - that’s the true benefit of community sites.
Nokia 3720 Classic:
September 1st, 2009 at 7:14 am
Mikey,
Interesting, I think the key to the Nokia video is that it demonstrates a clear benefit (for all those people who have a desperate need to set their phone in jelly!) and contains the other ingredients that make it a successful viral product. Its not always easy! What do you think of this Lenovo viral? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgyXJ0JujHc
Tom
September 1st, 2009 at 7:22 am
Tom, you’re right, it’s not an easy call but in my mind, if it looks like an ad then surely it is one, the nature of virals should be ‘guerrilla marketing’.