Where does the year go? Already September and not too many viral video campaigns have caught my eye this year, but fear not, Halloween season is right around the corner which is typically ripe for Virals.
I wanted to squeeze in this campaign from FX Networks new show American Horror Story before something from October knocked it out of it’s spot. Not much is known about the show which is already due to debut in a few days (surely part of their overall awareness or unawareness approach for this mysterious property)!
Somehow FX Networks actually got people to volunteer to have the sh*t scared out of them at any given time. Can’t imaging the legal hoops that had to have been jumped through, but this groundbreaking network got it done and Ill let you view, laugh, and share the awesome results as Im sure everyone at the network expects, enjoy my personal fav:
Having taken the last few months of 2010 off from blogging about those who are using the medium truly creatively it took something very special to make me exclaim “THIS IS GENIUS” out loud from behind my monitor and get back on the blogging horse. I overexcitedly present to you “Your Mom Hates This“, now THIS is genius!
Your Mom Hates This is a viral campaign for upcoming horror shooter Dead Space 2 from Electronic Arts (which I will no doubt now be purchasing on launch day). It’s funny, scary, viral and couldnt be more on target for the demographic.
On my personal social feeds it seems everyone is already flocking to this genius campaign, both gamers and non-gamers alike. With the exception of this 1 person who apparently doesn’t “get it” EA looks to have a major hit on their hands:
Well deserved!
Anyway, be sure to check out www.yourmomhatesthis.com for all the videos as well as a contest to submit your own mom reactions.
I was considering hoarding last month’s zombie marketing goodness from HELL PIZZA for the Halloween season but it seems the use of horror, paired with viral video content is going to be in abundance this season. It’s only September and we’ve got another great horror themed viral video campaign.
This time, the video comes from the platform of the popular online time-waster Chatroulette. Even I can often be found on the site (fully clothed!) and have given thought of creative ways to use the popular medium for a marketing campaign. However the hurdle of innapropriate content that has become synonomous with the site was a mental roadblock for me.
Enter the viral video campaign for the film “The Last Exorcism” where Lionsgate edited the most successful pranks pulled on the online video chat service and produced a highly successful and funny youtube viral campaign. With over 3 million hits in 2 weeks on the official youtube release channel alone, this campaign has no doubt created some additional buzz about the film.
The campaign is no doubt better watched than explained so enjoy:
Somehow, someway, they all got drunk, had some freaky orgy and gave birth to a new “Choose Your Own Adventure” style viral campaign from Hell Pizza, a franchise eatery in New Zealand. An easy win for our Video Marketer of The Month for August 2010:
Like any good viral campaign this one draws you in and allows you to interact with the brand. At first I was hesitant to take on the seemingly long task (more than 60 seconds in the youtube time/space continuum) of going through the entire adventure, but the high production value, great fx and comedic moments (I dont know why but it kills me every time a New Zealander calls someone a dick) had me stuck to my desk chair until the end.
I had to jump in early on this one, the only accolades I could find at the moment were 100,000+ hits within 4 days and a Video Professionals award but Im sure many more are to follow suit. Add “Avoid Ego Media’s” Video Marketer Of The Month to the list if it makes you feel any better… and if you can find some time away from all the new customer traffic you must be mustering!
I often get to do marketing work with a National Hockey franchise. While the crazy “need-it-now” deadlines during the season do make the job a lot less fun than it sounds there is an upside. Now that the hockey season is over, we all get a moment to take a breath and propose larger than life marketing projects for the upcoming season.
I have to say the holy grail in this area goes to this amazing, multimedia campaign for the Philadelphia Flyers. Canadian based sports marketing company Channel 1 Media has sure set the bar high in this area. Dont believe me? Just check this out: (by the way it’s ok to put in your real cellphone #, not only do you need it to complete the experience, but I’ve done it about 100 times now and I have not been spammed)
Working in the industry I can not only appreciate the overall presentation but am also amazed at all the internal elements that had to be aligned to pull something like this off. No small feat indeed. So kick back and participate in this campaign and start brainstorming on how you can take your viral marketing from just the internet onto other devices for a more memorable and more impactful experience.
Welcome to our newest blog feature “Video Marketer Of The Month” where we highlight people or businesses that are using video in interesting ways to successfully market their business online!
What better way to kick off the feature than with BIG BANG who’s creators Qbrick claim is “The most successful global viral interactive film ever!” I have to say I find it hard to disagree with them. Once you try out the experience they have created Im sure you’ll feel the same way.
The viral experience garnered over 14 million views in under 8 weeks.
Ego Media is the #1 mistake businesses make when entering the social media environment.
ego-media (n) - the pollution occurring on social media platforms when boring, self-serving content alienates the audience and puts it to sleep.
I’ve coined this term after the countless mistakes businesses tend to make when they first enter into the social media environment. With social media becoming such a hot marketing trend for companies of all sizes, many businesses are often too quick to start up a Twitter account, or set up a Facebook profile for their future social media marketing efforts without considering that all important next step.
Once they’ve established a social networking profile, the follow up task of populating these profiles with valuable social media of the utmost importance. Unfortunately, most businesses fall prey to the easy-to-make mistake of polluting their profiles with boring, self-serving press releases, re-posting pre-existing marketing copy, or most commonly, spamming their audience completely with outright advertising.
While much of this information does have its place in a business’ marketing plan, the social media environment is not the best platform for it. Remember, the definition of social media is: The use of technology combined with social interaction to create or co-create value. Does your social media provide value to your audience, or just to you or your businesses’ ego?
While typically, we are always asking ourselves “is this good for the company?” the next time you post a youtube video, microblog or profile update ask yourself a different question. “Are you are providing something of value to your audience?”
Remember, to avoid ego media, be funny or entertaining, be informative or helpful, and most of all, provide something valuable to your audience when you are creating your social media.
According to a BusinessWeek.com poll, 78 of 121 top marketers who served as judges for the Effie advertising industry awards this year produced a Youtube video to promote their brands.
Where does the year go? Already September and not too many viral video campaigns have caught my eye this year, but fear not, Halloween season is right around the corner which is typically ripe for Virals.
