5 Great Viral Video Campaigns from 2010 (that didn’t have the Old Spice Guy)

Twenty-ten undoubtedly will go down in the marketing history books as The Year of the Old Spice Guy. And rightfully so. Isaiah Mustafa”™s video racked up an impressive 24.2 million views on YouTube. In general, though, 2010 was the year that viral video and advertising merged to create highly-watched and -forwarded spots. The genre was taken to the next level this year and we would like to give applause to five other brands that did viral video marketing flawlessly.

1. The Tipp-Ex Hunter and Bear– Hands down, the best, most creative and innovative online video campaign this year came from a product not even available in the states. Choosing what the hunter and bear did next became an at-work pastime this year and the video garnered millions of YouTube hits worldwide.
2. KIA Hamsters– Who doesn”™t love hamsters and hip-hop? Tapping into our collective affinity for both, the KIA Soul commercial, which was a hit on television as well, deserves recognition for being so darn entertaining. We”™re not alone in loving the furry little gangsters. The spot found nearly 4 million fans.
3. Nerf– Teaming up with the folks at Funny or Die, Nerf created a series of mini-movies that were flat out hilarious and branding perfection. Instead of just targeting the products”™ obvious youth audience, Nerf skewed the videos towards 30-something guys and the result was brilliant.
4. Gucci Guilty– Did this perfume ad reinvent the wheel? Heck, no”¦ and that is what makes it remarkable. The mini-film shot by director Frank Miller and starring Evan-Rachel Wood and Chris Evans used its star power to bring in 300k-plus viewers. Not Old Spice numbers by a long shot, but not at all shabby for a perfume commercial. Plus, Miller deserves props for making cosmetics comic book cool.
5. Ford- Ford blew our mind simply because of its giant video output. The car company has dozens of YouTube channels and has inadvertently created its own network. Like the brand”™s social media marketing, Ford”™s online video campaigns are smart, brilliantly-marketed and relentless.