Eoin DowdallCreative Director
With Gangnam Style creeping its way towards 2 billion views, most companies find themselves wondering how they can create their own viral videos.
Viral videos are not just screaming goats or dramatic chipmunks, they can also be carefully crafted adverts that deliver a message. For a video to go viral it must be shared, blogged, reposted and spoken about until its views are in the millions. Whether it’s because it’s funny, technically brilliant or so outlandish you just have to talk about it.
Corporate viral videos are very popular and vary in content. The ‘Cafe Prank’ for the release of the film Carrie, and Paranormal Activities’ ‘Demon Baby’ attempt to scare the unsuspecting public. Both of course are great as the public have no idea they are being filmed. T-Mobile’s flashmobs take place in busy locations like Liverpool Street Station. They work because they are in places the audience will recognise and use members of the public; gratifying the viewers and allowing them to think it could happen to them.
Volvo were busy in 2013 creating ‘Epic Splits’, starring John Claude Van Damme. This is now the most viewed automotive commercial on Youtube. It’s a simple, ingenious idea that really gets people talking and has inspired many parodies – one of which became a viral itself.
To produce a video that will be shared it must incite feelings and provoke emotions. You must understand your audience and target their values and emotional triggers, whether your video is cute, funny, disgusting or anger inducing. As part of their Live Young campaign, Evian have released great videos from Roller Babies to Dancing Babies and, most recently, Spider-Man – Amazing Baby & Me 2. All of which complement their brand and engage their audience.
Timing of a video is also a key factor. A fairly obvious example is Audi’s ‘The Challenge’, which pits new Spock against old Spock. It is not only funny but was published just before Star Trek Into Darkness was released, causing it to pop up as people looked for the film.
The first 24 hours are crucial: if a video has enough views on Youtube in its first 24 hours it will be put on to Youtube’s main page, where it can instantly reach a vast audience. So a marketing strategy needs to be in place before it is released: how and where it will reach your target audience so you can maximise your videos initial views.
Here at Kartoffel Films we aim to create relevant and personal stories that the audience can connect with and talk about. We offer a free aftercare package that helps them get the most out of their videos on social media.
