The Viral Video. Clients want one, marketers want to create one and the public loves to watch them. The internet has seen some incredible viral videos over the years and with the invention of YouTube, the world can find entertainment in one convenient place. Marketing professionals have embraced this trend. The viral video is the perfect complement to an advertising campaign or an inexpensive alternative to a television ad. The catch: there is no way to truly predict if a campaign will go viral. The payoff: a viral video will be seen by millions of devoted fans which could translate into an incredible return on investment.
But what makes a video “go viral”? If anyone had this concept down to a science, then he or she would be very rich. There is one brand that seems to know what it’s doing. Mashable points to Procter and Gamble’s Old Spice “Smell Like a Man, Man” campaign that has taken the internet by storm. Paving the way to viral success, “The Old Spice Guy” has become an internet sensation. The commercial first became popular after airing during the Super Bowl. Wieden + Kennedy, the agency that is responsible for the Old Spice boom, continued building on the viral nature of the video by creating more videos in direct response to Twitter posts from fans and even celebrities. The result: millions of views of Old Spice videos and an increase in sales. Not too shabby for a campaign fueled by the internet!
Want more of the Old Spice Guy? Check out the rest of the videos on the Old Spice YouTube Channel.
