"We need to create something viral"

A pretty daunting task for advertisers these days. Where do you start?

For most people, the common response seems to center around video.

"Let's create a cool, low-key video showing [insert target] doing [insert semi-related brand event] in a neat way.

We'll post the video to YouTube, buy some Google keywords and bam - the next Dove Onslaught."

What we tend to forget is the "pass on" factor. Now that the video has been posted and stumbled upon by a few hundred people, what makes it worthy of an email? Why would some random blogger write about it?

More importantly, why would you spend 30 seconds or a minute engaging with it?

On extension of a viral idea is customized messaging that can be sent to your friends.

Remember how cool it was to get a Snakes on a Plane email from Samuel L. Jackson saying your name, career and hobbies? Or how strange it was to get a call from Chris Angel after he accurately predicted your phone number?

This simple application (that is also on Facebook) creates a customized video of Bob Dylan in one of his most famous music videos. In the video, Dylan has a series of signs that he goes through - each with different messaging. The catch? You simply type in what you want each sign to say and a video is created with Dylan shuffling through your message.

Send it to your friends and show them something neat. Great awareness for Dylan? Certainly.

Allow users to make their message personal. After all, it's a lot more fun to read a message from a friend than from a marketer.