In an attempt to show that B2B videos can be creative and fun, we’ve launched our own video series featuring interviews with online marketing specialists filmed in the back of a London Taxi Cab.
Called London PR Taxi, the video series covers a number of subject areas that make up what we call ‘new fashioned pr’ beginning with, in episode 1, an interview with Brian Storey – Creative Partner at Wand, discussing Viral Video techniques.
While the subject matter is serious, the context is far from it with coffee flying about as the cab, driven by a mad cabbie – nicknamed psycho Paul, swerves around London’s streets.
Episode 2, which discusses the place of media relations in 2011, ends with a cup of Starbucks coffee literally all over Gorakana’s Michael Davies (thanks Michael, you were a star).
Brands have wised up to the power of social to make viral video live up to its name …that is, by spreading through contact between human beings. But what makes a video truly infectious?
A recent flurry of cause marketing videos posted by amateurs have spread like wildfire. Despite having low or no production costs, these clips have what it takes to create that all-important buzz – so what can brands learn from the new crop of unwitting viral video producers?
1. Make your video feel less like advertising and more like entertainment
As MediaPost rightly points out, people didn’t watch the Old Spice Man or T-Mobile’s hilarious Royal Wedding Dance in their millions out of a passion for the brands or products. Both were genuine pieces of comedy gold. Devising a funny concept to coincide neatly with a campaign is notoriously tricky. Making entertainment your prime objective and avoiding obvious calls to action will appeal to the savvy viewer.
2. Inject some passion
Compelling content that provokes a genuine emotional reaction is most likely to be shared. Remember United Breaks Guitars? One man’s tale of his airline woes touched millions who connected with his message, perhaps through a shared experience or a general willingness in the US to stick it to ‘the man’. Humour is one route to people’s hearts – but organisations such as non-profits are well-placed to get behind more serious causes with passionate virals. Consider using interactive video to engage viewers deeper still. More »
Ahead of Wimbledon fortnight, Andy Murray and racket sponsor Head have launched a viral video, encouraging fans to ‘like’ Murray via Head’s Facebook page.
The ad ‘Get Closer’ created by German agency Aimaq Stolle, follows the tennis star in a lighthearted sequence, at home, on court and even features a shower scene.
The viral, is the first part of Head’s Facebook campaign tempting users to ‘like’ the page, to gain access to exclusive content, prizes and Murray’s tweets throughout Queens and Wimbledon.
Users will also be able to send messages to Murray via the page, with some messages picked to appear on the tennis racket bag he takes onto court during the tournament. Daily competitions will offer prizes including signed tennis equipment.
The campaign has been quickly gaining pace…with already over 42k views on YouTube, Murray has now been liked by more than 81k people on Facebook.
‘If you don’t have an iPhone, well…you don’t have an iPhone’, the Apple iPhone 4 ad mocks. You can’t argue with that. Yet with smartphone ownership now so prevalent (100 million iPhones have now been sold globally), it’s not apparent who the slightly smug voiceover is actually talking to.
But how many smartphone owners are using their devices to share viral video? If stats about Viddy are anything to go by, the correct answer is ‘a growing number’.
Viddy, a social video app that allows people to apply filters and effects to short video clips shot on their iPhones, is doing rather well. Just six weeks after launching it boasts 500,000 downloads – a fairly major milestone to hit within such a short timeframe.
If social video sharing in the mobile space really does catch on, the potential to get up close and personal through viral is pretty thrilling.
Take hipster rockers Panic at the Disco as an example. The band recently asked fans to download Viddy to help create the video for its new single, “Ready to Go”. More »
Google faced a difficult task when it came to the digital marketing of its new laptop, the web-only Chromebook. A revolutionary product, some might say that the Chromebook is a little ahead of its time. Its reliance on the web is undeniably clever – but are people ready to make the leap to cloud-based computers for personal computing?
Consumers who don’t yet know their cloud from their internal hard drive are bound to have questions about a laptop lacking familiar features such as a desktop background.
To solve this problem, Google has made fantastic use of video with a series of ads that utilise the format’s favourite ingredients: simplicity and humour.
Why keep it simple? This is a complicated product, and consumers demand quick and easy answers. Video is the ideal medium for a potentially complex sell – people ‘get’ visuals.
And why use humour to sell laptops? An ad that manages to educate while also entertaining will be remembered, and potentially become a viral video. While Google may not scoop any marketing awards for this campaign, it deserves recognition for cracking the notoriously difficult task of demystifying new technology for the progress-wary consumer. More »
Pepsi isn’t the first brand to attempt to lure huge audiences with the kind of viral video stunt that begs the question: “Was that real or fake?”
The beverage giant’s new video ad features brand ambassador David Beckham performing some exceptionally fancy footwork. If it is a hoax, it follows in the footsteps of such hits as Microsoft’s long-distance water slide (ultimately a fake); Roger Federer’s tennis tricks which pulled in millions of views for Gillette’s (also faked); the Head Shave helmet and the iPhone with the power to control Times Square. The latter two, unsurprisingly both fakes, were the creations of creative agency thinkmodo.
There’s no doubting the viral potential of well-executed fake clips. Whether viewed by believers or sceptics, they are likely to be shared, often resulting in fantastic brand awareness.
But has Pepsi got it right with its latest stunt? The answer, according to Jeremy Scott at www.reelseo.com, is a resounding no. In Scott’s opinion, the YouTube clip is fundamentally flawed. He cites overzealous audio and editing, high quality footage and unbelievable football skills among his criticisms. More »
There is an art to creating brilliant blog content and video, but the real mastery lies in ensuring that content goes viral.
These insights from Jon Steinberg over at Buzzfeed offer a great starting point, so we decided to share the love.
1. Keep it short
To create viral video – think 30 seconds good, 90 seconds bad. Any longer than that and people won’t reach the end, let alone share.
2. Offer an interpersonal, human angle
People only share what they know and feel a connection with.
3. Create rough content that feels authentic
Avoid over-produced content – people prefer a behind-the-scenes feel to a slick, edited product.
4. Make it something that people can engage with
People want to engage with content, not passively consume it. Include options to upload images, create quizzes or games.
5. Offer a platform for reactions/comments
The best business blogs offer a comment system, which you should aim to build into a community with viral potential.
6. Use lists and images
Why? Simple: people love them. Try creating blog posts that are lists and make it clear in your headline (it works for us!). Images are also highly shareable. More »
For brands seeking to create that all-important buzz, viral video has the potential to spread like wildfire and build instant awareness.
When Wired.co.uk attended an event run by MusicTank, titled “It Started With a Click: How to Spawn a Viral Hit”, the site reported back with the best ways for musical artists to raise their profile using online video.
Scanning the list, we reckon there’s plenty there that applies to any brand or company looking to achieve viral success.
Here is a summary of the key advice from the event:
Have a strong creative idea
Irresistible entertainment is the key to a successful viral video. After all, you’re competing online with other brands, not to mention laughing babies, cute kittens and Charlie Sheen.
Wired.co.uk advises forgetting about focus groups or your core demographic. Just come up with a brilliant piece of content. Make it fun and something that people will actively want to share.
Make it as accessible as possible
Use the most-popular technology that’s available to upload your video, or in other words, use YouTube. It might not be as artsy as Vimeo or Muzu, but it has the broadest reach. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t also upload it to those other sites, if they complement your digital strategy. Ironically, sometimes being taken down from YouTube due to complaints (as happened with M.I.A.’s Born Free video about the targeted massacre of people with red hair) can boost a video’s viral spread. More »
Social video is one of the hot buzzwords flying around, but what does it take to make a viral video truly social rather than just a lonely clip embedded in a website?
Fancy creative and placement on the major social networks is not necessarily enough. A report posted on reelSEO.com slammed those agencies and big brands that continue to treat online video as traditional marketing whacked up online.
Coming under fire was T-Mobile’s Valentine’s Day promotion featuring reality television star Khloe Kardashian. While Kardashian reportedly contributed to the social aspect of the campaign, posting the video to her Facebook and Twitter profiles and her own blog, the report critiqued the ad for seeming inauthentic and failing to engage.
Celebrities don’t automatically add value to video ads, so consider using real people to communicate your message, such as company employees or real customers.
Intel’s new action adventure mini-movie “Chase” is straight in at number one, in the AdAge viral video chart ahead of established favourites such as Evian and Blendtec.
The ad by San Francisco agency Venables Bell & Partners and directed by London-based duo, Smith & Foulkes (Honda “Grrr” and Coca-Cola “Videogame”), is an action-adventure chase sequence in a desktop multi-window environment.
The heroine is pursued by two bad guys through a range of computer applications from iTunes and Adobe Creative Suite to Facebook and more, demonstrating the performance capabilities of Intel’s new Core i5 processors.
The video now stands at almost 2 million views on YouTube – the growth curve of the original (of the seven different videos for the campaign), indicates a spike on Jan 18, which according to AdAge, usually indicates paid promotion, although Intel claims the surge was organic, due to blog coverage.
In an attempt to show that B2B videos can be creative and fun, we’ve launched our own video series featuring interviews with online marketing specialists filmed in the back of a London Taxi Cab.
‘If you don’t have an iPhone, well…you don’t have an iPhone’, the Apple iPhone 4 ad mocks. You can’t argue with that. Yet with smartphone ownership now so prevalent (100 million iPhones have now been sold globally), it’s not apparent who the slightly smug voiceover is actually talking to.
Google faced a difficult task when it came to the 
Pepsi isn’t the first brand to attempt to lure huge audiences with the kind of 
