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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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