Going Viral

After seeing many commercials both on the Internet and on TV, I have come to the conclusion that not many of them grab my attention. As of recently I have come to find myself laughing out loud at commercials that were sent to me via email, my Facebook, or those that I find on YouTube myself. In this day in age, it seems like more and more advertisers are approaching consumers by hoping that they will get a laugh out of their commercial and then hopefully send it to their friends or spread it via word of mouth.

I recently watched a short interview on YouTube with a creative team from Wieden + Kennedy who are behind the idea for the new Old Spice campaign including "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like". This character they created has basically gone viral. Although this has undoubtedly increased the sales of Old Spice products, I found it interesting these creatives were more ecstatic that their commercials were getting such big hits on YouTube. It seems like effective advertising does not just mean that sales are increasing, but it also depends on how interactively popular your campaign is. Even though the job of these advertising creatives is to get the Old Spice products sold, it seems like they are enjoying that people genuinely enjoy the work that they have created. No one would want to hear a consumer groaning when they saw their ad campaign, they want people to laugh and think its funny and send it to their friends. I think that the old Spice character has achieved this.

Old Spice Commercial- The Man Your Man Could Smell Like