Digging into the current branded video landscape, there are some obvious trends we can spot such as time-lapse footage, tilt-shift effects, and even interactive video campaigns. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find the more subtle trends and topics brands are finding to be consistent sources of interest and traffic.
Such as the apocalypse. That’s right… brands want to destroy the world-at least if they can get some good PR out of it.
Mutltiple brands and video creators have found ways to take something as potentially-frightening as the end of the world, and use it to drive awareness in their brand. For instance, Epipheo found viral success and social buzz with their video last week entitled How To Survive A Robot Uprising. It’s tongue-in-cheek, and mostly for fun, but has some legitimate logic behind its reasoning.
Just last month, filmmaker Vedran Marjanovic Wekster tapped into the same audience with a humorous instructional video on surviving the zombie apocalypse:
CGP Grey has built their online video legacy with graphics-based explanation videos, and one of their most-watched videos ever is about… you guessed it… the apocalypse–specifically, the Mayan/2012 apocalypse:
That same channel also scored 150,000 views with a humorous shortened version of their thoughts on the Mayan apocalypse:
This trend toward apocalyptic videos isn’t anything new–it’s just something new for brands. As much as five years ago, the online video world flocked in droves to a simple CGI rendering of an Earth-destroying meteor set to the music of Pink Floyd:
Online video audiences love to be impressed by unique talents or physical abilities–that’s why so many brands have begun featuring extreme sports in their video campaigns. But while snowboaring and basejumping may get most of the headlines, there are still some old reliable extreme sports that can translate into viewers.
Like Skateboarding. A number of branded videos have recently leveraged the high public interest in the sport to help grow their online presence. Like the Guinness World Records organization, who chose to feature the youngest X Games gold medal winner, Tom Schaar, who recently set a record by landing the world’s first 1080 degree spin:
The skate park featured in the video–The Skate Lab–is probably not too upset about the free publicity from this video either.
Oh, and that 1080 jump Schaar completed two months ago, which they reference in the Guinness video above? That jump was filmed by Red Bull, for their own online video efforts:
You might expect that online video marketing leader, Go Pro, has tapped into this growing demand for cool skateboarding videos, and you’d be absolutely right. Once again, they provide that unique viewpoint that only their camera can provide:
Branded video trends tend to run parallel to those in popular non-branded videos as well, and there’s plenty of evidence that skateboarding appeals to video viewers regardless of who the creator is. Videographer Russell Houghten put up this great high-definition skateboarding video this week, and saw the Vimeo version surge to over 160,000 views:
Ask anyone involved in branded online video, and they’ll all tell you they’d like their campaign to go viral… and to go social. They all have their own secret formula for success. Some use humor, while others prefer to leverage the popularity of cats. Some use time lapse photography, while others still attempt to bait the audience with a reference to Star Wars, Mario, or any number of geek culture icons.
But all this time, all they really had to do to succeed with online video was to create a Rube Goldberg machine.
Just a few days ago, design studio Hey Hey Hey became just the latest brand to find viral success with a Rube Goldberg machine. It’s called Mini Melvin, and it fits inside a couple of suitcases and travels the globe:
Just last month, Purdue University (and the World Records Academy) gained attention with their videotaped attempt at setting a new world recored for the largest Rube Goldberg machine:
Let’s be clear here… this isn’t a new phenomenon. Rube Goldberg videos, from brands and amateurs, have been delighting audiences for years. Perhaps the most famous (and most-viewed) is the one from viral kings, OK Go:
It’s easy to see the potential of the Rube Goldberg machine to wow, entertain, and inspire–everyone loves them… even future wives:
One of my favorite branded uses of Goldberg silliness came from Honda, maybe even a little ahead of its time. It’s certainly the most gorgeous video of a Rube Goldberg machine ever shot:
I could go on….
It’s no secret that online video fans love Star Wars references, and brands are more than wise to this fact–there were major branded online viral video successes long before Volkswagen brought in the tiny Darth Vader. But recently, a specific part of the Star Wars universe has become a popular reference in online ad campaigns: the lightsaber.
Most recently, we have Nerdist, which offers a take on what happens when Chewbacca hires a sexy grooming service–hint: girl fight with lightsabers:
You might say the lightsaber is a natural marketing reference for a laser company to make, specially when the company’s new product is the LaserSaber–an add-on “blade” that turns Wicked Laser products into virual lightsabers:
YouTubers know the power of Star Wars even better than the brands do, and some have used the sci-fi classic to catapult themselves from nobodies to bona fide YouTube stars:
ESPN has a long history of pretty funny workplace-related ads full of cameos, but none of us could have predicted the celebrity combination of Darth Vader and Lennox Lewis:
And lastly, although it’s not branded, this edited version of the “Man vs. Canada Goose” is hilarious….
A lot of brands look for a hook for the beginning of their video, to help grab the audience’s attention early. And a popular type of hook lately is the inverted perspective: take a subject, topic, or view that is well known, and flip it or otherwise give the audience a new perspective on it.
Red Bull’s latest social video hit is Free Riding In Rio. The Vidigal neighborhood of Rio is known for gorgeous scenic views, but Red Bull wanted to give them amazing views of a different kind:
Nike takes the worlds of soccer and tennis, and smashes them together to create something altogether new:
Remember DCMF Canada’s “Dear 16-year-old Me” ad from last year? Well, the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance takes that concept, and twists the perspective to generate some video buzz with “Dear 40-year-old Me”, a video featuring teenagers offering advice to their older selves:
Every four years, the major presidential candidates in the U.S. election attempt to give you a new perspective on who they are by going on the evening talk shows. Some try to sound smart, while others go for self-effacing humor. But sitting President Barack Obama flips the script by giving you the slow-jam news:
Brands in certain niche markets are finding a great deal of online video success by taking viewers to school. Specifically, there’s an emerging trend of short documentary films that contain a history lesson–usually pertaining to the brand, the product, or the industry.
Motor Trend got historical by talking about some classic rocket cars and the ages-old tradition of jet-powered racing in the Bonneville Salt Flats of Utah:
Motel 6 appreciates their roots as well, celebrating 50 years of leaving the light on for us:
An aviation school did what was only natural by giving us an animated history of aviation:
1188 Films in Toronto employed motion graphics and a charming personality in their celebration of Canadian Club Whisky, “A Proud History Of Canadian Whisky”:
After years of being disrespected or ignored by A-List Hollywood, online video is finally getting its due as a place even the entertainment industry’s most elite can go for respectable, well-paying, fulfilling work.
This past week, Apple & AT&T unveiled a new campaign aimed at promoting the usefulness of Siri. How useful is the iPhone personal assistant? So useful that even Samuel L. Jackson uses it:
So does Zooey Deschanel:
These are huge stars, for sure, but no one scored a casting coup like Paul McCartney, who landed both Natalie Portman and Johnny Depp to star in his new music video:
Some celebrity pitchmen get to do things they might never have had a chance to do before online video came along. Like survivalist and TV host, Bear Grylls, who got to throw out the first pitch at a baseball game. And because he lit the ball on fire before he pitched it, his brand, as well as Major League Baseball, gained tons of positive buzz as the video went viral:
Some celebrities, however, are finding they’re not even needed anymore, like Michael Jordan, who is probably wondering where his check is for the latest ESPN ad:
One of the reasons video is a more engaging medium than text is it’s ability to tell stories and convey emotions. There is no more believable evidence than that which we see with our own eyes, and video lets brands show viewers’ eyes all kinds of things.
A popular trend for branded video is to use the medium to redefine the company or the message… showing the brand in a new light through the demonstrative power of video.
Nike’s done this with their most recent online ad, which takes an ordinary plastic bottle (actually several of them) and turns it into Nike’s cutting edge athletic apparel:
Smart Car wanted to show how tiny their vehicles are, as well as associate their brand with fun. The solution? A gigantic version of the classic video game, Pong, where the Smart cars serve as the actual paddle controllers. Awesome!
Hot on the heels of their Gymkhana video success, Hot Wheels is going after some free publicity with a contest aimed at the user-generated crowd. The challenge involves a miniature version of the Gymkhana car, and has resulted in several successful fan-made videos like this one:
Finally, with all the negative video out there from citizens concerning the bad behavior of certain police officers, at least one police department has decided to get proactive and bolster their reputation. The method? Online video, of course. And all they had to do was turn the camera on while they made one little child’s dream come true:
Casey Neistat’s new video for Nike makes me green with envy. He takes the entire budget allotted to him to produce a branded video and uses it instead to finance a trip around the world for him and his friend. Chutzpah, for sure, but it’s not nearly as irresponsible as it sounds. Casey andy his buddy filmed the whole trip and produced an inspiring film which perfectly drives home Nike’s message.
Gone are the days when a celebrity simply appears in a brand’s commercial and says they love the product in question, at least with online video. The content-as-marketing nature of branded online video is evolving what the typical celebrity endorsement looks like.
New Era scored several social video hits with their ongoing series throughout last year’s baseball season featuring Alec Baldwin and John Krasinski—playing themselves—arguing the age-old rivalry of Red Sox vs. Yankees:
Instead of a single pitchman-style ad, New Era created a narrative, and allowed their celebrities to have a lot of fun over a series of vignettes. This year, they’re repeating the formula, with all-new celebrities. This year it’s Nick Offerman (Parks & Recreation) and Craig Robinson (The Office), taking up both sides in the inner-city rivalry between the White Sox and Cubs:
Celebrity endorsers are letting their hair down more these days, as well, doing more acting and playing more involved roles in the content. Here’s Majestic Athletic’s ad to kick off the 2012 baseball season:
The role of celebrity endorser is also changing definitions as it evolves online. Go Pro frequently features videos by customers, action-sports athletes, and partner brands to help pull in additional viewers:
One of the most popular trends in branded social video marketing is the live stunt. Sometimes it’s a flash mob. Other times it’s a public performance, a piece of artwork, or some kind of prank or Candid Camera-style gag.
But in every single case, regardless of the variety, success or failure of the video depends on one thing only: the crowd’s reaction. If the public citizens who happen to be around when the life stunt goes down aren’t intrigued, surprised, shocked, or delighted… the video could fall flat. The viewers have to have that anchor to relate to—the person in the video experiencing the same surprise that we are.
TNT has long been claiming that they “know drama.” So when the network moved into the Belgian market, they decided to create a little drama to help kick things off:
Coke’s Global Happiness campaign has been active for a couple years now, and they seem to enjoy subverting common notions about what a vending machine experience can be. Check out the great reaction shots in this piece:
Improv Everywhere has basically perfected this art of public stunt videos, and they always have outstanding reaction shots from the crowd to keep the viewing audience engaged:
T-Mobile’s now-famous “Angry Birds Live” ad is another great example of the power of crowd reaction shots. They could have set up this thing on a closed set, and while the contraption would have still been impressive, the video wouldn’t have succeeded as well. It’s the bystanders’ bewilderment that drives the sharing action:
Every month we like to take a look back at the best branded videos from all over the globe, and this month saw some more great branded flash mobs as well as some excellent humor pieces from companies all over the world.
For St. Patrick’s Day, Discover Ireland decided to bring a little Irish flavor to the good people of Australia. Audiences clearly aren’t yet tiring of branded flash mob events, as evidenced by the massive sharing numbers and viewcount for this video:
Tic Tac went the staged-performance/flash-mob route as well, using an elaborate production to make a few individuals feel like the last living souls on Earth:
Back over in Australia, the makers of Hahn beer went for humor, with a dash of the strange thrown in for good measure:
Cartier is a brand that knows a thing or two about going over the top–it’s sort of their niche. So naturally, when they decide to get into cinematic storytelling, it’s appropriately over-the-top as well:
And both the Guinness Book of World Records and the Lotus automaker benefited from the good social buzz this stunt managed to pull in on Facebook & Twitter:
It’s time to look back over the last month or so and hand out some unofficial awards for the best branded social video campaigns from March.
Marshall scored a huge hit with music fans and beer lovers with the video announcing their new Marshall Fridge, a dorm-sized refrigerator made to look like a Marshall guitar amp. The brand scored even more social buzz by going the extra mile with the promotion–the fridges appear to be real products you can order and own:
It’s election time again in the U.S., which means it’s political commercial time as well. And no one has a more social-media-savvy fan base than the sitting president:
Google scored several video hits in the last few weeks, including a few good April Fool’s gags like Google Tap:
Nike Football brought together two of the world’s best athletes to create one of the more memorable video ads in a while:
Finally, Rovio almost owned the entire month of March with an ad they waited until the 21st to release. Why? Because it’s an ad for the latest Angry Birds game:
Most video viewers keep up with the latest news and current events. Brands can grab initial attention and foster more engaged viewers for their videos by staying current themselves. By knowing what’s hot, what’s new, who’s popular, and what people are talking about, brands can get an edge on the competition.
Jimmy Kimmel knows a lot about staying current–his talk show is built around the concept. But he’s also good about the topics and timing of his video efforts. In addition to several viral hits around various holiday celebrations and the Super Bowl, he also finds success with videos having fun with current trends. His latest online hit blends celebrity power with the popularity and accessibility of Twitter:
Like the celebrities in Kimmel’s video, some brands try to stay current by paying attention to the negative things said about them online. Microsoft’s latest video for Internet Explorer is all about making fun of itself:
Some companies stay current by hiring hot actors or directors to create video content for them, allowing the star’s popularity to pull in viewers. Sony’s latest from director Wes Anderson does just that:
While traditional brands are turning to original entertainment content, entirely new brands are being created on content alone. The YouTube channel JeremiahJW has turned itself into one of a few very popular brands devoted to explanation videos. They do a great job staying timely with their content, as this week’s “The History Of April Fools Day” shows:
ParanickFilmz is another fledgling YouTube brand. They chose to springboard off this summer’s hotly-anticipated The Dark Knight Rises by creating a Lego version of the film’s trailer:
While most brands have ventured into online video marketing, some are having more success than others. In fact, it’s not uncommon to see a brand as popular as Old Spice or Skittles hit a social video home run every time out. But until this week, I’m not sure I’d seen any one brand land three viral video hits in the same week.
Of course, maybe it’s a little easier of a feat to accomplish when you’re Google and you have a multitude of products, initiatives, and programs.
Google first made waves with video audiences with a video promoting an insanely cool project: bringing Google Street View technology and interactivity to the Amazon.
Next, they wowed the masses everywhere with a piece of futuristic science fiction about self-driving cars taking blind people to go run errands–only it’s not a futuristic video… it’s modern day technology:
Finally, a new video ad for Google Maps for Android:
All three ads feel like part of the same advertising family. They share similar styles and notes. And what Google always gets right, and that a lot of technology companies get wrong is the blending of cutting edge tech or gadgets with a human element. The eye-popping nature of the self-driving car pulls the viewers in, but it’s the human story of how that technology can improve the life of a blind man that really keeps them glued.
While there are some important and obvious differences between companies and nonprofit organizations, in the world of online video marketing, both need to operate like brands. And I’m happy to say that there is consistently great video coming out supporting the various nonprofits and other important causes all the time.
During his career in the NFL and Major League Baseball, Bo Jackson did a lot of impressive things. In just a few short weeks, he’ll be doing two impressive things at once: riding his bicycle across the state of Alabama (his home), and raising a ton of money for tornado victims while doing it. He’s calling it Bo Bikes Bama, and while his viewcount might not impress the execs at a Fortune 500 company, it’s more than enough to help spread the word on his goals–and those viewers are likely more engaged with both the video and the overall message:
Sometimes a nonprofit does such good work that the people whose lives they touch make videos about them. Like the paraplegic girl who had a life dream fulfiled by 9Lives Adventures when they organized a wheelchair bungee jump for her. She was so thrilled, she uploaded video of the event as a thank you. Half a million views later, there are a lot more people who know about 9Lives than there were last week, which can only increase their awareness and support:
When members of the 31 Canadian Brigade Group met up with the U.S. National Guard, some good-natured competition broke out between the two groups, in the form of an intriguing style of tug-of-war:
Sometimes a cause is so specific that it’s really just one man, not an organization. That’s no reason to abandon video as a means of getting the word out. Just ask the man behind the KumukahiHawk YouTube Channel, who is monitoring active lava flows in Hawaii and documenting it for the world to see:
They may not have all the resources, but by taking advantage of the social nature of online video, nonprofits and causes can find the same kind of engaged and active viewer the brands receive.
A few months back, Louis CK earned himself massive amounts of audience respect with his self-produced, self-released stand-up comedy special. But the fans weren’t the only ones paying attention. It’s not an overstatement to say that Louis CK’s experiment–and more importantly it’s success–opened up a lot of eyes in the entertainment industry. The unique distribution model (largely just trusting his fans not to pirate the material) made him a ton of money, and it was only a matter of time before others tried something similar.
Aziz Ansari, from NBC’s “Parks & Recreation,” is among the first imitators to launch, and has a very foul-mouthed trailer for his own self-distributed stand-up comedy special. WARNING: I repeat… it’s got a ton of swearing in it, so keep that in mind.
Ansari knows that his biggest fans will appreciate the direct-to-consumer approach, making them more engaged and ultimately happier viewers.
Another brand doing some online video experimenting this week was HBO’s Game Of Thrones, which has its second season premiere coming this Sunday. The show has already scored too many social video successes to count with traditional trailers. So for something different… for the hardcore fans, they put out a 22-minute behind-the-scenes video that has been a huge success. It’s already over 200,000 views, and has multiple mentions on major blogs and publications and an impressive amount of social sharing activity. Loyal fans are already more engaged than casual viewers, but this kind of content only serves to further the connection they have with the brand:
In probably the most innovative and clever bit of social video from the week, The Fine Brothers (themselves an established entertainment brand these days) leveraged another popular brand–AMC’s Mad Men–for an interactive 8-bit video game experience that is a lot more fun that it should be:
The brands that innovate and push the envelope with regard to style and format are the ones most likely to reap the highest viewer engagement rewards.
We all know how Old Spice conquered the world of online video marketing, causing marketers from all industries to drool with envy. Their original “Man Your Man Could Smell Like” ad started it all:
All brands that dabble in online video marketing want to make great videos. And some of them are doing it consistently.
But the pipe dream should be more than just great videos created by the brand, it should be that… plus a legion of socially-connected fans making videos about your brand for you. Video has the power to do more than just engage customers and form relationships with them; it has the power to make them such big fanatics for a brand or product that it becomes infused in their everyday lives… including the videos they make.
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Viewers aren’t terribly complicated people… we just want to be entertained. And while there are a number of ways to achieve that, a great many brands shoot for humor–specifically humor of the strange variety.
Thanks to the successful and popular ads over the last few years from companies like Old Spice & Skittles, “weird humor” is all the rage.
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Once a brand makes up its mind and commits to an online video campaign, there are a still a host of decisions to be made. One of the most important early decisions is the choice of style and genre.
One of the genres brands are turning to with increasing frequency is documentary filmmaking. Documentaries are as popular as ever, and have begun to infiltrate the world of online video advertising as well.
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Every week the competition gets more fierce in the world of branded social videos. More brands are jumping into online video, and the brands that have already been doing it are getting better and better. February 2012 saw several brands succeed with outstanding social video concepts designed to entertain and spur sharing behavior.
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Let’s set aside our North American tunnel vision for a moment, and take a look at some of the best international video ads from the month of February–there were plenty of good ones to choose from.
Coca-Cola enjoyed continued viral success from their anthem for the national team of Tunisia:
Some brands have to work pretty hard to come up with a concept for a social video campaign that will be compelling while still representing the brand’s personality and message. But some brands barely have to lift a finger to go viral, just by filming what they normally do and using what they already have.
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Recently, HBO aired the third season premiere of its cult-hit, Eastbound & Down. The show follows the missteps and exploits of a self-centered and foul-mouthed former big league baseball player, Kenny Powers.
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Sharethrough congratulates Mother, NY for winning this year’s Social Media Influencer Award. Our own Dave Ford had the honor of awarding the prize for the music video to Method Man’s hit “World Gone Sour (The Lost Kids).” The video is a flawless example of brand integration and truly deserving of this year’s award. Cheers to the folks at Mother, NY.
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There’s perhaps nothing more effective than beautiful imagery in selling people on places to visit. Until recently, glossy spreads in luxury magazines had been the ultimate expression of this tactic, while web video lagged far behind due to its’ limitations in picture quality. For example, here’s a piece of video marketing for the Philipines tourism department from 2008. It’s helpful, but certainly not very compelling:
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Humor is the single most popular hook for online video. If you can make the viewer laugh, they’re having a good time… and we humans are social creatures who love to share good times with friends. It is, of course, no different for brands. Humor has proved to be reliable for brands of all shapes and sizes, even some unexpected ones…
…like the President (or rather, his administration). The White House YouTube page is home to all kinds of content. And yes, most of it is political in nature, i.e. serious, but the President has a softer, fun side as well (most human beings do). And the White House is learning to use YouTube as a way to share that sense of humor, which of course helps endear him to the American public. Check out this video from last week, where President Obama interacts with student science fair champions and gets to fire a marshmallow air gun:
The video is already near a million views, with earned media (especially valuable in an election year) on sites like boingboing, and thousands of shares and social media interactions. And it’s all because they decided to let the cameras roll on a lighter White House moment and then tap the power of online video to share that footage.
Cause marketers are getting in on the humor act as well, which isn’t always easy when many of them are nonprofits campaigning about topics that are relatively sad or depressing. But Ecotricity found a way to blend humor with their serious message about green power by simply anthropomorphizing some towers:
How about yogurt? Can you make yogurt funny? You certainly can. Just ask Dannon, whose John Stamos laugher of a Super Bowl ad has over 3 Million views and scored very high with some key advertising demographics (hint: women):
Of course, some subjects just aren’t funny, and there are definitely times when humor isn’t appropriate. But even brands thought of as stodgy and stuffed up are finding that humor can help spread the word and engage audiences across the web.
Just to help make sure we don’t get cultural tunnel vision by focusing too much on American branded video campaigns or American audiences, we like to make a point to talk about some of the best social video successes internationally. As usual, January 2012 was a month that saw international brands grabbing tons of attention and buzz from social video.
Palencia33 is a YouTube channel/brand that has had several successful videos, many in the realm of “explainer videos.” And they also serve as a great example to remind us of the power of international audiences: the English language version of Palencia33′s SOPA video has over 300,000 views… but the Spanish-language version went mega viral, grabbing over 6 million views:
Finnair has a viral hit on their hands with a mid-air dancing flash-mob to celebrate India’s Republic Day (the flight was headed to Delhi):
While the government takedown of Megaupload and the ensuring controversy has made plenty of headlines in the U.S., it’s the international audiences (and Megaupload’s international fans and users) that drove their mid-December music video to over 13 million views:
Coke is one of the savviest American brands in terms of tailoring their online video for multiple audiences. In early January they put out this ad, which is also doubling as the official anthem for the national team of Tunisia:
Every country and every culture in the world is unique. As the global community continues to break down borders, successful brands will begin to tailor their social video campaigns more and more specifically for all possible audiences.
January is regularly stocked with great video ads because of the Super Bowl. This year took Super Bowl advertising to the next level with a huge variety of trailers, extended cuts and other creative content released along with the spots. Since we’ve covered the Super Bowl in great depth of late, we thought we’d do a round-up of non-Super Bowl social video highlights from January.
One of the most successful branded social videos of the entire month actually hit the web just one day before the month was over. It’s a piece of viral marketing for the film Chronicle, and it features some clever contraptions used to trick New Yorkers into thinking real humans were flying in the skies above. The UFO-sighting quality of the stunt propelled the clip to nearly 7 million views in less than a week, and hundreds of thousands of social media shares:
Only one day earlier, HBO launched the latest trailer for their highly-anticipated 2nd season of Game of Thrones. And it’s already sitting near 5 million views, with press mentions on more prominent websites and blogs than you can shake a stick at:
Disgraced former pitchman, Vince Offer, is apparently no longer disgraced by his prior arrest. Instead, he’s started a YouTube Channel… and apparently a pitchman business as well. His first product, which appears to be a real product (despite many notes in the ad that suggest it could be a parody), is something called the Schticky (Update: the copyright police have come a callin’ to Vince, so we are gonna post the Auto-tune remix)
ok fine, we’ll throw in something from the Super Bowl. This video gets the all-time award for gratuitous brilliance, enjoy 5 hours of Adriana Lima in 1080p courtesy of KIA:
Improv Everywhere–the kings of video social experimentation–did their annual no-pants subway ride. And judging by the 12 million views, it’s more popular than ever:
You might remember Casey Neistat. He’s the guy that got a ticket for riding his bike outside the NYC bike lanes, so he made a film mocking the law by showing how many obstructions there are in the bike lanes. You can see that video here:
He’s back with another popular video, only this time it’s about texting while walking–not “texting while driving,” but “texting while walking.” But the real reason I’m sharing it with you is because it was commissioned by the New York Times. That makes the video interesting for several reasons–not the least of which is the fact that the print media world is creating video. It’s also an important signal as to the power, reach, and pull of online video stars and creators. Check out Casey’s video for the New York Times:
Freddie Wong is probably the most famous YouTube star that major brands have started treating like a celebrity endorsement worth getting. Samsung had him shoot an entire video on their new Galaxy S II, and the end result got over 10 million views:
Even Hollywood is paying attention to the raw marketing power these popular YouTube creators have at their fingertips, as they paid Freddie for a custom Cowboys & Aliens video to help promote the film:
T-Mobile hopped on the Merton popularity train at the height of the singer’s Chatroulette days, flying him to the UK to do his improv singing act for the country’s air travelers:
Big brands like using web stars as pitchmen because they have legions of fiercely loyal fans, and they’re typically much less expensive to hire than your average Hollywood celebrity.
Brands are experimenting beyond the 30 second parameters. Even with Super Bowl ads, longer form videos are coming into vogue. While its perhaps a little counterintuitive, as the general attention span seems to be shrinking, brands are finding that the web offers the ability for a deeper, more cinematic experience and they are taking advantage of the opportunity.
For a recent campaign, Craftsman decided to go (a lot) longer than 30 seconds, creating a 20-minute video. Craftsman hired artist and woodworker, Floyd Davis of Artpentry, to create a boom box built out of a tool box. The interviewer asks Davis some questions, and allows him to show off how he built the custom piece.
The video has about 24,000 views as of this writing, 12 days after going live, with about 85% of those who voted “liking” the video. Most of the viewers came via Gizmodo, which wrote about the project. Check it out:
Craftsman’s not the first company to do long-form branded online video–far from it. You might remember the Jay-Z documentary from Absolut Vodka:
BMW actually kicked off the long-form online video trend… more than 10 years ago. Called “The Hire,” the series of short films starred Clive Owen and had a guest-directors list that included the very best Hollywood filmmakers like Ang Lee. Here’s Episode 7 of The Hire:
Nike actually did a video that’s very similar to the Craftsman video–taking an existing artist and having them do their thing with the product. Nike used a couple DJ’s to create the musical shoe:
As the web continues to assert itself as the major destination for video content, you’re going to see more and more long-form video content from brands as goals shift from total impressions to engaged views.
While larger brands have the most money and resources at their disposal to push the very definitions of “online video,” smaller brands, small businesses, and mom & pop shops are still finding ways to carve out some of the viral spotlight for themselves.
When the budget isn’t there, smaller brands have to rely more on their own creativity and hard work to produce a winning piece of entertainment video.
Type is a small book store in Toronto. And while there is still a thriving community of literary fans that prefer hard copy books to e-books, book stores don’t exactly rake in enough cash to have large marketing budgets. So the owners, a husband and wife, spent many hours, over the course of many nights, creating a charming stop-motion animation called The Joy Of Books:
That video is so good, and shows so much passion from its creators, that it’s grabbed over 2 million views–not too shabby for a small business.
In another demonstration of Canadian small brand creativity, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Chorus found social video success with a silly “singing tweets” performance:
Sometimes you can just be yourself, and add a dash of humor. The Winnipeg Humane Society did just that with their Kitty Midnight Madness Sale video, now at nearly half a million views. For very little financial cost, they created a charming and funny video ad that greatly helped spread awareness about their brand:
YouTube stars Rhett & Link know there’s power for small businesses in viral video marketing. In fact, they make a TV show where they go around helping mom & pop shops that ordinarily wouldn’t be able to afford a video ad or TV commercial. That’s how we got Chuck Testa:
Online video ads are gaining prominence, and beginning to become their own new content variety. Want proof? We’re now seeing brands creating entire online video campaigns that exist solely to tease another upcoming online video campaign.
Take Volskwagen, whose “The Force” from last year at ranks as one of the most successful online video campaigns in history. If you’ve somehow managed to avoid seeing it before now, here it is:
That ad originally appeared online a few days before last year’s Super Bowl–where it also aired. And this year, the car company has another big Super Bowl ad up their sleeves, and it seems it will again involve Star Wars in some way. How do I know? They’re teasing the ad with another ad–one featuring a chorus of dogs barking out the Imperial March–and the teaser ad has already gone viral:
Volkswagen isn’t the only brand to use online video as a teaser for a larger online video campaign. Old Spice did the same thing with their Fabio Vs. Old Spice Man campaign in an attempt to drive interest in the one-day video extravaganza. Here’s their teaser:
Of course, using online video to tease a piece of content isn’t new… movie studios have been among the earliest adopters of that form of marketing. Like The Dark Knight Rises, which has already found over 11 million viewers in one month–and we’re still seven months out from the film’s release!
What’s new about the trend is that brands are now using online video to drive interest in future online videos. And that signifies a huge leap in the legitimacy of online video as a destination format for branded entertainment content.
Even though online video is revolutionizing the way brands look at advertising, some of the old conventions still apply. One of these is product demonstration. In the old days of television advertising, you’d get a spokesperson or pitchman and a fairly straightforward demo of the product being used.
But that kind of ad won’t fly on the web today. In order for audiences to care about your product demonstration, it has to be delivered in a way that’s engaging and entertaining.
LG gives you the perfect example with their latest ad showcasing a very clever thief:
That ad’s been shared on many 0f the major viral gatekeeper sites like Reddit and Buzzfeed–and has over 54,000 Facebook shares in its short life.
Another clever product demonstration ad comes from G-Form, a company that makes iPad cases that are impact-resistant. How impact-resistant? Well, in their latest video, they dropped one from near space:
Gizmodo helped drive this video’s viral activity, as did Techcrunch, and the video benefited from viewer debate over whether it was real or fake.
Chinese construction company, Broad Group, has maybe the most extreme product demonstration I’ve ever seen. Why? Because they demonstrate their product (construction of buildings) by putting up a 30-story hotel in only 15 days’ time. Naturally, there’s a time-lapse video of the unbelievably fast construction, which was also helped by coverage from Gizmodo this week:
