It’s no secret that King Media is a fan of successful, creative viral campaigns. In recent blog posts we’ve talked specifically about our love for the Old Spice campaign, how to incorporate social media with viral marketing, and what exactly a viral campaign is. In case you need a refresher, viral marketing is a form of advertising where information about your brand or product spreads like a virus, typically through the Web. The key to a successful campaign is to get people to not only talk about it but to share with friends, family and their social networks. This requires your campaign to be memorable, inspiring and to tug at the audience’s emotions. The Top Viral Campaigns of 2011 go above and beyond these requirements. Here they are for your viewing pleasure:
The most successful viral campaign of 2011 was Volkswagen’s “The Force.” The spot shows a young boy dressed as Darth Vader in an unsuccessful attempt to use “The Force” on various items in his house. His powers finally work on his dad’s Volkswagen, only because the dad presses the automatic start button at the same time that his son makes his attempts. The spot was originally going to be shown as a Super Bowl commercial, but Volkswagen decided to launch it on the Web weeks before. The video gained much success, having reached 14 million views before the Super Bowl. It is still being talked about and shared, and now is its way to being one of the most-watched viral ads of all time with 48+ million views.
The second most successful viral campaign was T-Mobile’s “Royal Wedding.” The advertisement showed royal lookalikes walking down the aisle. The ad was released weeks before the real Royal Wedding and was an instant hit. It had over 25 million views and there was even a “T-Mobile Dance” performed at London’s Liverpool Station.
Celebrities can play a big part in a successful viral campaign. Fiat featured Jennifer Lopez in their campaign, Chrysler used Eminem, and Adidas had appearances from various celebrities from Katy Perry to Derrick Rose. However, having a celebrity endorse your product or brand is expensive and hard to obtain. This is why businesses with smaller budgets must have a creative and original campaign that gets people talking and sharing.
2011 provided us with many viral campaigns , some good and some bad. To look at the rest of the top viral campaigns of 2011 click here and let us know what you’re favorite ones are! If you’re looking for a fresh start this year and are interested in implementing a successful viral campaign for your company, call the experts at King Media today!
