At this point it is safe to say that these two creative geniuses (and I realize we won't all agree on the "genius" part) were just at the right place at the right time and their motive really was to create a Christmas card...not become wealthy and famous. Luck was on their side. However, as the internet has evolved with communication avenues progressing, entrepreneurs, businesses, artists and hopefuls have developed alongside and are capitalizing on it's effect. Using a strategy similar to the history of South Park, people can "accidentally" leak a video created with the purpose of advertising themselves. The point is to get people to think about you and pass it on, a sort of grassroots effort on steroids! When it catches on we say it has "gone viral".
One company tried this advertising approach in the early stages of the concept. The video appeared to be a commercial shoot gone very wrong in which the actor is so hungry he flips out on the set directors because they won't let him eat the pizza that he's trying to sell. He pushes the makeup guy into the pool, rushes the camera and tackles the pizza man all while cameras are rolling. The video is "leaked" and accomplishes the marketing objective easily; people talk and re-post. It wasn't long before mainstream called BS though, the idea needed refinement and while it may have been humorous to see a grown man throw a fit, people moved on after realizing the fake.
What would you do? How would you use the viral video approach to advertising? Do you think it is promotion at its best? Remember, there's no such thing as bad publicity right? (think Paris Hilton or pretty much any Kardashian) Or do you not care? A funny clip is just funny, there are no deeper pulls to get you to buy something....hmmmm....
Works Cited:
http://www.southparkseries.com/
That's hilarious! I had no idea that is how South Park started. Viral video advertising approach to me means raw, uncut and funny. Sometimes you can tell when advertisers are going for the "raw" look (and it may not look good.) One good example is the Pepsi Max commercial with Jeff Gordon taking a test drive with a hidden Pepsi can video camera.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great blog! I never knew how South Park was created. It is hard to believe that this Christmas video launched the cartoon. Youtube is a tool used by many people, who just hope someone will notice them and maybe they can become famous. The Internet has evolved into a massive, viral frenzy and people that are not famous right now could easily become famous from a simple video.
ReplyDeleteJoshua
I think it's great that firms are trying to create buzz for their products and services in a way that is very entertaining for consumers. I don't want to watch a typical commercial, they're boring and I hate the feeling of when someone is desperately trying to get me to do something or buy something from them. With viral videos that are subtly promoting something, the appeal is natural instead of forced, and to me that shows how clever their team is. If a firm is really good at what they do, I will not only share the video but probably try out their products/services as well.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how companies are now trying to create viral videos whereas the original viral videos weren't meant to "go viral." The originality and rough or candid feel made them much more genuine and likely to be shared. It's hard to fake that feel, even if it really is funny.
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is " everyone back on the pile", "they took our jobs", if any one is a fan of South Park, they know this episode!! "Going viral" is definitely a good way to get noticed. If you have watched any of the TV programs such as, Tosh 2.0, MTV Ridiculousness or FHV, its not hard to see that they promote these people and elevate them to somewhat of a celebrity status. As far as advertising is concerned, I have to agree with Christine, anything that is forced on me is going to go unnoticed, however, if it is something entertaining, I more susceptible to watching the clip. Its interesting to see how these firms are reaching out to their customers. I cant help but think about the Dos Equis commercials and how they caught on so quickly!! Marketing has reached new heights on how they promote their product and has definitely set new rules to the game.
ReplyDeleteI think viral videos are used for advertising a great deal for example the CEO of Dominos pizza put out a PSA of his company on YouTube explaining they will once again become a better pizza. This received more attention then airing a commercial of the same sort. I believe one of the reasons is because now due to Hulu, Netflix, and Redbox people are content with just having a computer than having a TV. I also find that YouTube is a gate way for people to get famous fast! Great example of this is Justin Bieber and Keenan Cahill.
ReplyDeleteThe beauty of viral videos is that they have now joined the social fabric of America. Anyone can now show a friend a video on the fly and it can be a great conversation starter. How many times have you heard someone say "Did you see that one video"? It almost always results in someone pulling out there phone or other mobile device and sharing it on the spot.
ReplyDeleteI love this topic. While im not really a fan of "viral" videos I do get a chuckle everyonce in a while. I hated and still hate gnamgnam style. I do enjoy the marketing aspect that comes with it commericals are much more enjoyable since the internet came around. Just yesterday I sat through the first 5 minutes of a 8 minute add on youtube. I would have watched the whole thing but my computer died. and then i even searched and still can't find it. (I have no idea what is was about, maybe a movie with an android played by the Green lantern for spiderman. still curious)
ReplyDeleteI think the best advertising comes from those ads that catch you off guard because they become memorable. I had no idea that was how the show was started. The creators of South Park were geniuses in their ad campaign of their show. I have never watched the show, but it does spark my curiosity with the ad because it is memorable.
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