Viral advertising: examples of videos, effectiveness and possibilities of viral marketing. Creating viral videos

The concept of a viral video has been around for a long time. How many views does a video need to get to be considered viral? Why are such videos created? How does viral marketing work? Next, we'll look at the factors that make a viral video viral and tell you what you need to do to create a potentially viral video on the Internet yourself.

What is a viral video?

Video promotion is based on the word of mouth effect. Such videos are called viral by analogy with the rapid spread of a viral infection.

There is no consensus on how many views a viral video should have. Opinions only agree that the primary factor that determines the “virality” of a video is achieving a large number of views in a short period of time. Of course, interest in such videos does not last forever, but at the peak of popularity, the video rapidly gains views, and even after the excitement fades, people continue to find the video on YouTube and other sites in one way or another.

Common viral video formats include:

• overview or infographic;
• re-sounding of the video;
• Internet transmission;
• video parody;
• commercial viral advertising;
• social advertisement;
• videos featuring animals;
• compilations of funny videos;
• videos with an unexpected plot;
• videos demonstrating unusual human abilities.

Viral video: who makes it and why

A popular music video can also turn into a viral video if it is shot in an unusual way or contains an interesting, funny or even absurd idea. Thus, the most viewed videos include the video “Gangnam Style” by the South Korean artist PSY, which has already received more than 2 billion views and opened the k-pop genre to the world public. Among Russian music videos, “Exhibit” by the group “Leningrad” recently distinguished itself, which had more than 73 million views in January 2016.

But in most cases, viral videos have specific commercial goals behind them. Viral advertising is very effective way increasing sales, so many brands are looking to shoot a promotional video that could be distributed around the world.

The history of viral videos

Initially, videos were distributed between people using Email. This is how, for example, the very first viral video created in 1995, called “The Spirit of Christmas,” was distributed, on the basis of which the popular animated series “South Park” was subsequently filmed. And the following year, the viral video “Dancing Child” appeared, depicting a 3D model of a dancing baby. The video was sent as spam email.

Subsequently, the role of a platform for distributing viral videos was taken over by the world-famous video hosting YouTube and other similar platforms. Appearance mobile phones with built-in video camera and then available digital cameras contributed to what people began to do great amount amateur videos, some of which went viral.

The first commercial viral video on the RuNet, which gathered a fairly large audience, appeared in 2005 - it was a viral advertisement for the launch of the Cupid dating site. Subsequently, large companies also began filming such videos. Russian companies, and a little later, separate studios began to appear, specializing in creating viral videos.

How to create a viral video?

Viral videos Nowadays, many companies, as well as video bloggers, are striving to create, whose earnings on YouTube directly depend on the number of views. You may also be wondering how to create a viral video that will help you achieve certain goals. It must be said right away that no one has yet come up with a way to make a guaranteed viral video, but there are actions that can increase this likelihood.

For example, in July 2013, American Karen Cheng posted a viral video on her channel called “Girl Learns to Dance in a Year (TIME LAPSE).” In it, she presented a chronological video compilation of herself, showing the public how she learned to dance. Three years later, the video has 5.7 million views.

The girl herself admitted on her blog that the video’s popularity is largely due to viral marketing. Karen was helped by the promotion of her video on YouTube and the Reddit website, where her video was liked by users and managed to get to the TOP in its category.

None of this would have happened if I had just made a video and then decided to sit back and wait for it to go viral

Let's take Karen's advice and present a selection of recommendations for creating a viral video.

Some emotions spread faster than others, such as admiration, excitement, anger, anxiety. But emotions such as sadness or satisfaction are unlikely to cause a desire to respond to the video, support it and show it to friends - this is a one-time video.

• Let your video tell a story. This way it can be different from other videos. There are many other dancers on the Internet who are much more talented and persistent than Karen, but it is her video that contains an attractive story that makes users not only watch it once, but also show it to someone else.

• Choose a viral headline. Pay attention to Karen’s viral video: after reading her title, you want to immediately know who this “girl” is who is learning to dance, and how she managed to do it in just a year. And since the title also indicates that this is a time lapse, that is, you can see not only final result, but also the learning process itself, then how can we ignore this video!

• Once the video is published, promote it wherever you can. Share the link on all social networks, ask your friends to watch it and tell your friends. Use social networks to attract the attention of celebrities and famous bloggers. Post links on forums. Post your video on resources that publish content offered by users.

• Another promotion option could be paid viral marketing - video promotion on TV, popular websites and video portals on the Internet.

These are the basic tips that will help you make a clip, advertising or entertainment video that has every chance of becoming viral. Be creative, try different sites, share your video with as many people as possible - you can’t predict exactly which method will work, but they will all work to promote your video.

Viral video– this is a video in which some product or service is implicitly advertised, an original video story that is interesting a large number of people. The purpose of this video is maximum amount views, which will ultimately serve to create a positive brand image, and this will help attract customers.

Viral videos are an integral part of the SMO sphere, since in large quantities distributed on the Internet, on social networking sites, and are therefore unique and interesting content, links to which representatives actively exchange target audience product, service or brand.

Advertising agencies have learned to create videos to suit every taste and budget. Unfortunately, despite the fact that video production is affordable price segment can cost 10-15 thousand rubles, a truly “viral” idea is worth its weight in gold. That is why the upper price limit for viral videos can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars, and the production of such videos is carried out only by large advertising agencies with extensive experience and a sufficient staff of talented and creative employees.

When creating a viral video, it is necessary to take into account many points, starting with the fact that video is “heavy” content and is only well perceived by users with sufficient knowledge fast connection to the Internet, ending with the most difficult stage in creating advertising events based on viral videos - the correct “seeding”. By failing this stage, the advertiser risks the entire campaign - the video may simply not “infect” the audience, which will make all previously done work useless, and the funds spent on creativity and production will be a waste: not every video will collect millions or even hundreds of thousands of views.

If virus attack Nevertheless, it was a success, you need to understand why it was created and what to do with the unexpectedly formed army of new followers of the brand. Most videos get views on the sites Youtube.com/Youtube.ru, but, undoubtedly, millions of clicks to these pieces of creativity are impossible without social networks.

Not every video will receive millions of views or even hundreds of thousands.

Successful examples of viral videos

Debauchery in the office, manager's rebellion.

A video about the drink Cola, a chemical reaction.

A blender can grind any item.

Linden running on water.

Making a beauty in a graphic editor.

The best viral videos of 2013

In 2013, the average number of views of popular videos increased by approximately 5 times; if earlier (2010-2012) videos were viewed by 10 million, now the average is 50 million.

An incendiary video about babies dancing, a mirror turns adults into babies

The real beauty of women is conveyed through feelings.

Professional racer scammed driving instructor

The girl suddenly develops paranormal abilities - telekinesis, all the visitors to the cafe are shocked

The world-famous split and stretch of Jean-Claude Vannes in a Volvo car advertisement

A little vulgar and naked David Beckham runs through the streets looking for the keys to his house and things happen to him interesting points

Heartbreaking video of firefighters saving a little kitten in a fire field

Viral videos of 2014

The first kiss - strangers kissing on camera, their reaction aroused interest in the form of 100 million views.

Spider dog is a prank on people with a dog from a horror movie.

Street kids turn into world football stars Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Wayne Rooney

Creator/screenwriter of the full-cycle video production studio Spotmakers

How to create a successful viral video? Unfortunately, there is no clear answer to this question. The fact is that despite a bunch of successful cases, the only correct scheme still does not exist. Exactly like working templates and clear algorithms. And this is not at all surprising - the specificity is appropriate. Very often outright nonsense comes out, while really high-quality videos remain in the shadow of a couple of thousand views on YouTube. You can come to terms with this, but it is much more interesting to figure out what this mystical formula for success is. And if Western practice has gone far ahead in this matter, then in Russia cool specialists are just beginning to become more active (we are not talking about successful projects, but about the systematic creation of viruses).

Perhaps one of the most pleasing examples of successful viral advertising in Russia.

Xzibit has upgraded Russian viral advertising a little!

And this, of course, is a very positive sign. Some have already learned to optimize the basic skills of creative and screenwriting, copywriting and directing (the list goes on for a long time) to create viral videos. But what exactly is a viral video? How does a viral video differ from a simply popular one? And is there really this difference?

Viral video- this is not just a video that has gained a lot of views on video hosting sites (let’s close our eyes for a while to cheating and other evil spirits). This is viral content with maximum involvement - discussions, comments, copies, parodies and active reaction in the media. AND key point In creating such content, the video becomes oriented towards just such a reaction. The idea, script and visuals already contain certain characteristics that allow the video to go viral.

IDEA

It’s unlikely that you’ve heard about this for the first time, but still: IDEA defines everything. And if a trivial product of a creative’s imagination can somehow be pulled out through incredibly high-quality implementation, then absolutely nothing can be done with a frankly rotten idea. This must always be remembered. That is why 90% of the success of a virus depends on the idea. This is the most interesting and at the same time time-consuming stage of creating viral videos (it’s a pity that everything doesn’t always work out as in this winrar video). An idea can easily be born under the pressure of trends, and implementation could not be simpler. For example, the inexplicable love of Russian viewers for pseudo-truthful recordings from car DVRs and surveillance cameras has given rise to several relatively successful virus attacks: for example, advertising "Cafe Caesar" or a video with “hidden” advertising Subaru. The guys didn’t bother at all and made simple and cheap videos. And many agencies operate according to this scheme: they charge the client money for flawed ideas and simple implementation, play on mass thoughtless consumption, and at the end they get a completely successful case. On the other hand, you can only look back a little at the experience of Western video makers to understand how you really need to work. That is, not just make a video that will be watched millions of times, but do it with high quality, with an eye on competitions and awards, and even with a truly viral effect.

How you can achieve this at the idea creation stage:

• Look for inspiration and follow trends - monitor selections on Youtube, follow user preferences in cinema, study “Staff Picks” on Vimeo, etc.;
• Processing information do not force it into frames and templates;
• Don't save your energy, time and human resources - completely immerse yourself in the process of idea formation;
• Form the creative core of your project team - use everything available methods brainstorm, listen to every opinion and highlight the best thoughts from the collective imagination.

Requirements for an idea for a viral video:

• Focus on your target audience, her image, values ​​and attitudes;
• Lay the emotional foundation: the viewer needs to be surprised, impressed, touched or made laugh;
• Suggest unexpected decision For actual problem or stimulate the development of this solution;
• And separately: always remember that it is necessary to maintain the advertising message(a fairly common mistake is when, in a frantic creative ecstasy, the commercial message completely disappears).

EXECUTION

If the idea determines everything, then everything is dead EXECUTION easily bury her alive. And this is perhaps the weakest point Russian market viral advertising, despite the occasional cool work. But the notorious videos from recorders and surveillance cameras, mainly with cattle showdowns, for some reason have firmly established themselves in the status of a viral flagship. But they don’t require any serious efforts from the film crew or post-production specialists. Naturally, I do not forget about not the most weak rollers. And this applies not only to beer advertising! For example, Huawei and the Smetana agency took a small step in the right direction by filming a video "Phone for Russia". And Vitra and GLHF surprised us with a viral tile advertising. Even the frightening Military Commissariat with the help of the Loop agency tried his best. And, fortunately, there are more and more such examples.

The question arises: is it possible to compare a viral video from a DVR and a high-quality video with professional filming? Why not? In both cases, the advertising message must be skillfully hidden in the depths of the plot, and the video itself is distributed using the same channels.

So we can safely say:

• High quality performance can really surprise the viewer in Russia, and this should be used;
• The content should be oriented towards viral effect - no need to skimp on details, which may be of interest to the audience;
• Today you can forget about timing. The established statement about the optimal time of 30-90 seconds for viral videos is complete nonsense. All formats and templates can be safely ignored:

pictures are clickable

• P.S. School advice in the spirit of “let the actors play well”, of course, also needs to be taken into account. But example of Eva Morozova gives rise to a slightly different comment: “let the actors play according to the idea.”

SOWING

To be honest, I don’t really want to dwell on this point in detail - the technologies have been studied for a long time and are extremely clear. Some believe that good video promotes itself on its own, but you can’t fool anyone with this nonsense. At a minimum: you need to determine the target audience for primary sowing, find appropriate social platforms, gain a foothold in the top at the very early stage of the campaign, do not screw up the technical aspects of video hosting and take into account dozens of other nuances. In Russia, by the way, with this full order- There are plenty of examples of videos that are far from being of the highest quality making it to the top.

There are a number of the most obvious truths:

• The planting campaign needs to be carefully planned;
• It is necessary to act quickly, especially in the first few days;
• You need to gain a foothold in various charts - for example, getting into “Favorites on YouTube” guarantees many free publications;
• The video needs active support in in social networks- several placements in the most popular communities and blogs can also launch a sharing wave.

IDEA + EXECUTION + SEEDING:

Make the idea the epicenter of the whole process! And then don’t let it die at the production stage - implement it with the highest quality possible. Then ask yourself a few questions:

• Is the video unique? If yes - great! If not, does it offer anything new?
• Will it be of interest to the target audience?
• Is the video charged with emotions? Is he able to surprise, impress, scare or make you laugh?
• If there is a problem in the video, does it offer a solution?
• Is there any room left for fan creativity? (This, of course, is already an incredible success - practically the pinnacle of viral art)
• Did you forget to save the advertising message?

And only when positive answers are received, you can safely start sowing, being confident that success is very close!

Sergey Antipov, creator/screenwriter of a full-cycle video production studio

If we compare even with the recent past, the situation with advertising today has completely changed. The Internet has changed it, and simply releasing it is no longer enough. ads on television and hope that it will resonate with the circle of consumers it is aimed at, and sales will skyrocket. Online video and digital technologies only aggravate the situation: if the video seems boring, you can immediately switch to another one, advertising is in the way - you can install a plugin that blocks it... Today, viewers have a choice, and they are no longer obliged to sit through 15 minutes advertising blocks to watch your favorite movie.

But fortunately, all is not lost for advertising managers and the brands they promote. They just have to adapt to new reality and use more sophisticated ways to get us interested in your company and its products. Instead of marking time and complaining about the ubiquity of the Internet, many simply accepted the new rules of the game. And it has given the world truly outstanding viral advertising videos.

Old Spice: Male Old Spice

Before the new campaign began, Old Spice had a definite image problem. It was seen as a product for middle-aged men seeking to attract the attention of women that they were unable to attract in the 70s. Everything changed with the advent of innovative commercials and Isaiah Mustafa.

T-Mobile: Royal Wedding

The royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton was perhaps the biggest event of 2011. And T-Mobile made the most of this opportunity, using it as the basis for the plot of the video. True, they presented own version events involving strikingly similar doubles.

The main idea was to show the royal family doing something completely out of character for them. And dancing along the church aisle to the altar to the “hackneyed” pop music suited this perfectly. This video is definitely more fun to watch than the actual royal wedding ceremony, which, as expected, was a boring and conservative event.

Volkswagen: Strength

Heroes and images from " Star Wars” have been used in countless commercials over the years. Although their presence did not guarantee that the commercial would be memorable or increase sales, some of them managed to achieve the “golden mean”, for example, the video from Volkswagen called “Strength”.

Blendtec: Will it be possible to make a blend out of this?

Like many others, I had never heard of Blendtec until the viral Will It Blend? didn't catch my eye online. I still haven't bought a single blender, but if I ever go out and buy a blender, I will buy one because of the brilliantly simple idea.

In the Will It Blend? Company founder Tom Dixon tests whether his blender can chop various objects. He starts with something that is usually ground up, and ends up with something that only idiots would put in a blender, namely Apple iPad. So what if it looks delicious.

Evian: Kids on roller skates

How to sell bottled water when most people already drink it and the buyer already has huge selection? Touting its healing properties, that's how! “Drink Evian and stay young.” Smart, easy to remember and attention-grabbing.

This video works for one reason only: it features cute toddlers on roller skates. The melody can be anything and end with any words behind the scenes, it will still work because of what we see.

DC Shoes: Can Block Autocross

Ken Block is a rally driver and extreme sports enthusiast. Now he is also known for participating in extreme car testing, demonstrating absolutely incredible stunts on the racing circuit. He is also the co-founder of DC Shoes. Put these two facts together and this is an impressive result.

This advertising is not aimed at those who do not like cars and believe that tinkering around them is a stupid activity. The rest will open their mouths in awe as Blok performs dangerous tricks one after another. It has nothing to do with the product that is advertised, but who cares?

Dove: Evolution

The idea is simple: to show how very normal looking the model transforms into the ideal woman looking at us from the cover of the magazine. Dove, with its “Campaign for Real Beauty,” positions itself not as part of the problem, but rather as part of the solution.

Glaceau: Smart water

Another commercial for drinking water. But Glaceau is taking a completely different approach to product promotion. trademark Smart Water. The spotlight is on Jennifer Aniston. All the elements necessary for an enjoyable viewing experience have been added to the already heady mixture.

This promotional video contains full set means of “viral campaigns”, which includes nodding celebrities on YouTube, open use cute animals and dancing babies. Finishing touch? The video was called “Sexy Jen Aniston” - and a couple more million views in your pocket!

Tipp-Ex: Bear Hunter

It's not really promotional video, this is an interactive video. Watch the 30-second introductory video and you'll be asked to make a choice to click to switch to another video. What comes out of this is entirely up to you. This is perhaps the smartest of all the videos presented here. Unlike others that lose their relevance after just one viewing, the Tipp-Ex: “Bear Hunter” campaign video will keep you coming back many times because what you watch depends on which word you click on.

Honda: “Ferris Bueller is taking a day off”

Last but not least is the Honda commercial that aired during the recent Super Bowl. It stars Matthew Broderick, reprising his role from Ferris Bueller's Day Off, John Hughes' 1986 film about fate's favorite Bueller, who has the best day off the school has ever known.

Honda's video uses fragments of the film's plot and adds its own new ones. As if to confirm how powerful she had become worldwide network For numerous brands and companies, Honda releases a trailer and then an online spot a week before the Super Bowl TV commercial.

Conclusion

All of these videos managed to draw my attention to the brands they were promoting. I haven't bought a Blendtec blender or a Volkswagen car yet, but I already realize that at least I know more about these companies and their products than before. And I can say with confidence that some still decided to make a purchase based on these videos. What's especially impressive is what appears primarily on YouTube.

This is far from full list, and it is only completed today. Which viral commercials are your favorite? Have you ever made a purchase based solely on them? In what direction should advertising agencies make their next steps in order to find inspiration for videos that will go viral?

Hello, my name is Dmitry and this site is my blog

As you probably noticed 🙂 I do internet marketing and everything related to increasing sales and profits. I work with small and medium businesses helping them get more clients, I make sure that clients buy more and more often and thus achieve significant growth in revenue and profit. If you are engaged in a legitimate business, love what you do and want to grow, then let's discuss .

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