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Contrived and Stealth “Viral” Campaigns Still Controversial

A few amateurs created a giant lego ball and videotape their friend dressed as Indiana Jones running from it down a San Francisco hill, where it crashes into a car. Of course the pieces stay intact, and the ball appears to be stryofoam dressed with legos. What’s wrong about this video? We think the fake…

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YouTube Now Advertising Free!

 Well it’s been a week or so since I’ve seen an Invideo ad on YouTube. I’m not aware of a public statement regarding what is allegedly a technical issue. My new banner is “Nalts: Now With No Advertising.” And I’m still posting away… At least the subliminal ads are still running (see YouTube Picks).

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How to Win a Contest (Case Study)

ZackScott, one of my favorite fearless video creators, returns for a guest blog post about winning a recent Xlntads ProQuo contest (disclaimer: Zack and I both contribute to Xlntads as members of a “creative advisor board, and he wins contests while I think about them). Zack told me yesterday, “I’m hoping people think I’m such…

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Where Are the YouTube Ads? (Insert Cricket Sound)

The biggest mystery of YouTube partners (those who share in advertising revenue generated by their videos) is yet unsolved. My post about Sxephil’s reaction generated a lot of discussion, but there’s still a big unanswered question…. Are the YouTube ads missing because advertisers aren’t buying? Or is there a technical glitch prohibiting them? Either option…

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Streaming Media East (NYC) on Tuesday, May 20

I’ll be moderating a panel for Streaming Media East tomorrow (Tuesday, May 20) at the NYC Hilton. The topic is “Creating and Promoting Amateur and Viral Videos” (A103) 1:45 PM – 2:30 PM The session explores what makes a video viral and how marketers and amateurs can promote their video using online video sites and…

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One Small Step for Video Ad Standards. One Giant Leap for Creators and Brands.

One of the factors that has limited the growth of online-video advertising is the production and traffic work. Mike Shields of Mediaweek reports that the Interactive Advertising Bureau this week introduced a set of guidelines to standartize online-video advertising and make the medium “easier for advertisers to buy.” The new guidelines cover three basic forms…

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The Best of Cats on Skateboards (YouTube Advertising)

It’s the biggest myth of online-video advertising. If a brand advertises on YouTube it will appear with consumer-generated media that includes such content as cats on skateboarders. TVweek’s “New Media Minute,” hosted by Daisy Whitney, featured a recent interview with YouTube’s Jordan Hoffner to set the record straight (via WebVideoReport). Naturally I couldn’t resist a…

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Is Yahoo TV Closing or Widening Chasm Between Online Video & Television?

Which online-video site is mostly likely to be part of the bridge between television and the Internet? You can fault the model, and question it’s sustainability. But Yahoo TV is well poised to leverage its partnerships with Verizon and TiVo to start serving its bite-sized video content via television sets equipped with broadband boxes. Take,…