Category Archives: Viral Video

book, Future of Online Video, Online Video, Uncategorized, Video Advertising, Video Business, Video Sites, Viral Video, Web 2.0, YouTube

YouTube’s Accidental Rocket: Whoa, duuuude.”

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"There is a sense that YouTube accidentally built a rocket and is willing to hang on to see where it goes," observes Technology Writer Kevin Maney in an article from USAToday. "Co-founders Chen and Chad Hurley can be like the main characters in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, who go for joy rides in a time-traveling phone booth and marvel at where they land with a "Whoa, duuuude!""

Here are my other two favorite parts:youtube.jpg

  1. When I ask Hurley if advertisers are seeking out YouTube, he replies, "More than we can deal with. Potential partners — that's another wave of e-mails. We're having discussions with all the major studios, (record) labels and networks."

  2. What does all this mean to the media business? There isn't a soul who really knows — except to know it means that a tiny company above a Japanese restaurant can alter the balance of the entire industry.

P.S. I'm not a soul who knows either, but that doesn't stop me from blogging about it a few times a day.

book, Killer Video, Making Videos, Online Video, Uncategorized, Video Advertising, Viral Video

Pranking the Coffee Mascot

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testdrive.jpgBlogs can be fatiguing to maintain (sans revenue) until something like this comes along. Mascot Roommate. These guys prank their poor roommate who has a job promoting a coffee shop.

It takes the fun out of it to think it might be staged, but there's certainly tips that would suggest that. One thing's clear to me- it's not an ad campaign. Coffee Bean wouldn't sanction this (some of it's crude) and they certainly wouldn't serve the clips on a Mac account. So whether it's staged or not, we can conclude that the real prank is on the store and its customers.

That said, this would make a helluva viral ad campaign, wouldn't it? I think if I was the PR guy for Coffee Bean, I'd have our lawyers send a "cease and desist" letter. And if I was the head of marketing, I'd give 'em a check, pull down the "over the top" content (Mascot thrusting pole), and put some viral wind behind it.

book, Killer Video, Online Video, Video Advertising, Video Business, Viral Video, Web 2.0

Sasquatch Helps Market Beef Jerkey

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jack.jpgI just about peed on myself looking at the videos on this Jack Link's Beef Jerkey campaign website. To see some really funny ads, click on the video camera hanging on the tree. They feature hikers taunting Sasquatch with various pranks. 

You may also want to visit Sasquatch's MySpace. (Courtesy of Adrants). Someone please post the name of the agency that did this. Fantastic campaign. 

book, Killer Video, Online Video, Uncategorized, Video Advertising, Video Business, Viral Video, Web 2.0

Feature Film Released in Short Chunks Via Web (WorkingStiff)

workingstiff.jpgWho needs Hollywood? "WorkingStiff" is an independent film being released via www.ProjectWorkingStiff.com in short chunks via the Internet. The release began Memorial Day, and is being rolled out in 3 to 5-minute increments until the complete 94 minutes has played. Each day’s episode is stored in the lineup until the whole movie has played. The story features Gene, a beleaguered corporate filmmaker who directs training videos for a large corporation. Facing a financial crunch that could cost him his home, he decides to use the company studio at night to produce an ”adult” version of the anti-sexual harassment training video he's shooting during the day.

The writer, Greg Joyce, has more han twenty years of experience. He earned his BA in English and Philosophy from Boston College and his Masters degree in Magazine Journalism from Syracuse University. For full credits click here.

This is a great example of an innovative distribution approach, and I suspect we'll see more of these projects where small film makers bypass traditional distribution channels and offer their work directly. Brightcove is the company powering the technology, and to RSS it (which I would highly recommend), put this in your feeder: http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid18617683?action=rss

To dive deeper, check out the film's blog.  

book, Future of Online Video, Killer Video, Online Video, Uncategorized, Viral Video, YouTube

Bus Uncle: I have PRESSURE

bus uncle.jpg

I've always maintained that web video can't be longer than 30 seconds to 2 minutes, but this 6-minute clip (Bus Uncle) provide otherwise- it will entertain you silly and you'll soon be quoting it.

Some poor 23-year-old in a Hong Kong bus tapped the shoulder of a real estate agent who was talking loudly on his cell phone. The guy (now known in Hong Kong as "Bus Uncle") proceeded to yell at the teenager for 6 minutes using absurd dialogue that appears to have been taken from a low-budget Japanese film. Luckily another guy across the bus captured the entire episode, and posted it to YouTube (where it has been watched several million times). Search"Bus Uncle" to find the original as well as a Karaoke version, the rap remix and the dance and disco take.

According to this CNN article, "Now Chan is rarely seen without an entourage. A business sells T-shirts and handbags. "Bus Uncle" Web sites have emerged, while there is an entry on the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. His words on pressure have become an oft-repeated catchphrase in this teeming city."

Watch everything you do, folks. When U.S. citizens are armed with video cellphones, your next outburst could become an Internet phenomenon.

Killer Video, Making Videos, Uncategorized, Video Sites, Viral Video

Secret Recipe for Viral Video Popularity

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chef.gifA recent article about YouTube reveals that 50,000 videos are uploaded a day, and 50 million are viewed. This ratio has changed, no doubt, over time. But that basically means the average views per video should be around 1000. Most videos, however, never surpass 10-100 views. Others get more than 10 million.

So what’s the secret recipe to getting a viral video?

  • Start with 1 pound of good video content- ideally short and minimally packaged.
  • Stir some initial enthusiasm that yields to high views and votes. Here’s where self promotion and luck can enhance the meal.
  • Bake and hope that a few Bloggers point to your video. For example, in my first YouTube success, Googlehead went from 5,000 views last night to 8,000 this morning- I have MicroPersuasion to thank for much of that.
  • Remove from oven and let cool. Hope that someone at YouTube decides to feature it.
  • Serve warm. Once a video is popular it hits “tipping point.” People want to watch popular videos, so it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.

Again- if the system works right, the best videos are the most popular. In my opinion, that isn’t necessarily happening yet. I’ve seen some great stuff burried with no views and some videos on the “most popular” that have me as puzzled as when mullets were popular.