Video Ad Candy – Irish Marketing Blog

Advertiser: Flying Horse 
Uploaded: April 10
Viral Elements: Weird, Humour, Suspense

Ogilvy developed this ad to launch Brazil’s newest energy drink, Flying Horse. The creepy, suspense driven opening is cut through with the blunt comedy of the character dropping his toast face down. On realizing that toast always falls face down, and that cats always fall on their feet – what would happen if you put the two together?

A nice, humorous way to play on the power of the drink.

Advertiser: P&G
Uploaded: April 17
Viral Elements: Emotion emotion emotion

P&G have created a classic here with the continuation of their “Proud sponsor of mums” campaign. The ad follows the exploits of budding Olympians from their first steps in their sporting fields, all the way to Olympic success…. and how integral each of their mothers were to their success.

A classic play on emotion, but it works!

Advertiser: DollarShaveClub.com
Uploaded: March 2012
Viral Elements: Randomness, Humour, Tongue in cheek, Unexpectedness

A great example of a startup company recognizing the opportunity that viral marketing has for their business…at a relatively tiny cost. A parody of the typically American sales video, Mike the founder, explains what DollarShaveClub.com is while taking swipes at Gillette & co, using a kid to demo, joking about his polio ridden Popop, swiping a machete, making jobs… and of course saves you $$$. Finishing with a rave with a money fight and an employee dressed as a bear.

The modern 20somthing year old has a very short attention span. This is the tactic of classic randomness keeping attention and surprising the user. The Old Spice tactic.

Watch the view numbers rocket.

(thanks to Mono for the tip on this one!)

Advertiser: ING Direct, Italy
Uploaded: Feb 2012
Viral Elements: Humour, unexpectedness

Not necessarily a “viral”, but I wanted to note this ad as a really creative outdoor stunt. Leo Burnett ran this campaign in Milan for ING Direct to play on their “word of mouth” campaign. Essentially, they built billboards and banners (even one on the side of a bus!), with live people who conversed and bantered with passers by.

But ultimately is this offline advertisers finally appreciating that engagement rocks?

Advertiser: Kia USA
Uploaded: Aug 25, 2011
Viral Elements: Crazy over the top randomness.

This blog is my attempt to discover a blueprint for viral video development and in doing so, I am analysing these elements and trying to spot patterns. Analysing this ad, I have a vision of a modern Don Draper sitting in a Madison avenue creative agency deciding to take the most ridiculous, biggest, loudest and weirdest elements and mashing them together.

The ad begins with a HALO like scene where a post apocalyptic robot battle is taking place, until our KIA rocks up and halts the onslaught. And to our pure puzzlement out steps some human-sized, overweight, 80s styled hamsters (with questionable crotches). And whats the only thing that makes less sense? The robots join in.

This ad initially strikes me as vulgar, brainless and over elaborate. However if one thing is true; the figures speak for themselves. With over 11 million views to date (4.6M of the views have come from mobile devices!) – this ad has gone fully viral.

So is ‘crazy’ all you need? I hope not…

Advertiser: John Lewis
Uploaded: Nov 11, 2011
Viral Elements: Nostalgia, Humour, Cute, Poignant Music, feel-good effect.

Although this ad is widely known at this stage, I cant resist featuring it as one of the best Christmas ad ever created.

This heartstring-tugging Christmas ad plays on childhood memories of impatiently awaiting Christmas morning. The typical family scene, contains subtle humour within the little boy’s agony that Christmas seems an eternity away; a feeling we all endured during the festive season at childhood.

A beautiful piano based version of The Smiths’ “Please Please Please”, performed by Slow Moving Millie works brilliantly in the background, with its relevant lyrics and somber tones. It has a profound effect on the mood of the ad.

Ending with a feel-good twist, the “For gifts you can’t wait to give” tagline captures the audience’s hearts while perfectly executing a basic marketing principle of calling to action.

A great ad.