Thought I’d take a look at viral video this week to explore how the qualities that make a video a viral success can apply to making your business video a success as well. Obviously, the likelihood of your business videos going viral are slim, thought the same qualities that launch a video into viral success, can have a similar impact on making your business video a success in connecting with your audience.
One thing we all in have in common is that we enjoy being entertained. While the main purpose of your video may be to inform more than to entertain, having an entertaining quality about it, will add to viewers experience and enhance their interest in sharing it with others in your target audience.
Today – The Fun Theory.
The first is the musical staircase video from Volkswagen. VW’s ad, called “The Fun Theory” was created by the DDB Stockholm ad agency. There will be several spots in the series, each focusing on “hidden camera” style clips that show how people can be motivated to change behavior when there’s a chance for fun to be had.
The Piano Staircase is the first in the series, where musical notes and asks, “Can we get more people to choose the stairs by making it fun to do?” You then see workers outfitting a public staircase so that it resembles a piano keyboard—complete with actual notes playing when you step on the “keys.”
The bigger push, behind just having fun, is responsible living. VW wants you to be healthy, and keep the planet healthy. So if they can get you to take the stairs instead of riding an escalator, you’ll be having fun while also being more active. They claim over 60% more people chose the piano stairs than had chosen the regular stairs the day before. Pretty powerful data, actually.
The second spot features a trash can with fun sound effects, which results in more people finding and throwing away trash where it belongs, thus decreasing litter. And VW hopes to harness this campaign to push their eco-friendly vehicles, which they hope you’ll find both fun to drive and better for the environment.
It’s brilliant, if you ask me. So many demographics will find something to like about this video. Those in the online marketing space, like us and most of our readers, will enjoy the simplistic beauty of a perfectly crafted viral campaign. The public will enjoy the Candid Camera feel of the masses reacting with quizzical looks.
I’d call it a home run, and this is only the beginning. A couple weeks after debuting, the first YouTube video already has well nearly 5 Million views. The second released about a week ago, nearly 1 Million views. Good work, VW (and DDB Stockholm).
Watch these for yourself:
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lXh2n0aPyw&feature=player_embedded] [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbEKAwCoCKw&NR=1]