I think that in the last five years, every marketer has uttered the words, "Let's make a viral video". From the Pizza Hut disaster to Samsung and their LED sheep, they're literally everywhere. Most fail, but some make it. And the ones that do typically get a nice write up in AdAge and other marketing pubs to talk about how great they are.
So is there a formula for making a viral video? Some magic list that a creative should follow when they get a silly request from client like this one? If there was one, here's a potential top five points:
1. Use scantly clad women who are seductive and over the top. See Diesel SFW
2. Do something with an animal. They can be cute, or just plain weird.
3. Do crazy with a random accessory. Like with Ray Ban Sunglasses
4. Get an athlete to do something crazy. Even if it isn't real.
5. Use a baby (see below):
To be honest, I like the new baby spot from Evian. And so do the people who use YouTube (over 3 million hits in a few weeks). So, what else would you add to the list?
