Viral campaigns – a virtual roundhouse kick
Coming soon from a friend near you… If ever the advertising industry decides to learn how to execute campaigns on the internet, they may want to start by looking at the success of viral campaigns.
Take The Hoff for instance, and the 22 immutable laws of branding. If The Hoff was a brand, the law of the category would apply (a leading brand should promote the category, not the brand). A category needed to be established to build an audience for viral campaigns of this kind. The category being dodgy 80’s TV stars. For me, the campaign culminated in me having my “I love the Hoff” t-shirt printed. Unfortunately the law of mortality also applies to the Hoff (No brand will live forever. Euthanasia is often the best solution).
Enter Chuck Norris. Chuck Norris can thank The Hoff for establishing the category but this time we see a new strain of viral activity. Where The Hoff viral epidemic spread with photos, Chuck Norris is all about roundhouse kicks. This campaign spread globally almost instantly where the Hoff took months to take off.
The only viral campaign type advertising I have ever seen for a South African company is an ad for Nando’s, who are known for their risky ad campaigns.
Where to go for Viral Campaigns
Internet marketing experts Quirk include a list of links to cool viral clips on their newsletter.
This week on bizcommunity.com I read news of the first viral campaign production company in South Africa opening its doors in Cape Town, I hope to see some of their work in my inbox somehow, soon.
Written by Katherine Gibbon
