Every video marketing campaign dreams of becoming viral. Many try and fail to achieve this feat. While virality is influenced by luck, a lot of it is due to careful analysis and preparation. The only way to learn how to create a viral video marketing campaign is to look at those that have done it before. For any company looking to achieve internet virality, here are some of the five most viral video marketing campaigns and why they succeeded. 

Old Spice Man

“The man your man could smell like” campaign is one of the most popular viral marketing attempts in the last ten years. This advertisement is ingenious for a variety of reasons, but its greatest accomplishment is effectively leveraging humor to improve brand retention. Happiness is one of the top emotional responses to viral images, and laughter is one of the best contributors to happiness. What this viral marketing campaign does most effectively is it creates a brand persona that is funny, warm, and appealing to both gender audiences. This campaign was so successful that Old Spice’s Twitter following went up by more than 1000 percent. 

#LikeaGirl

Always goes a different emotional route than the Old Spice Man. In the #LikeaGirl spot, Always uses the testimonials of men, women, and children reacting to what they think “Like a girl” means. These responses address the socially accepted sexism that people of all ages accept, including women. A powerful message with a clear hashtag is a great recipe for a viral video marketing campaign. Including the hashtag #LikeaGirl on the video is a great way for emotive viewers to share their affection. This is a great tactic for an ad that is looking to reflect on female experiences. All of this builds into Always’ image as a supportive brand for women of all ages.

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

Clearly, not all viral marketing campaigns target products or businesses. The ALS ice bucket challenge was a super accessible trend that was funny, engaging, and supportive. It also included ALS in the name of the challenge, which meant that people were raising awareness every time they referenced the campaign. This campaign raised more than $115 million in just eight weeks. 

Fireman Saves Kitten

This GoPro campaign is a tear-jerker that uses brand association and product placement to great effect. Not only is the viewer happy that the cat is okay, but they are also happy that this act of heroism is caught on camera. It also helps that this video was filmed on a GoPro. The ad perfectly highlights the GoPro’s features and uses while subtly putting it in the backdrop of viral video content. This is a genius marketing move that many companies have since tried to emulate. 

Dove Real Beauty Sketches

This viral marketing video uses a lot of the same principles as the #LikeaGirl campaign. Except in this case, Dove uses surprise as one of the campaign’s driving forces. Surprise is a powerful emotional response that elicits the attention and retention of information. It also contributes to the campaign’s driving message, which is that you’re more beautiful than you think. Combined with the emotional element, this video spread across the internet like wildfire. The uploaded video received more than 110 million views in its first month. 

The one thing all of these campaigns have in common is excellent video production. If your content doesn’t look incredible, it won’t perform that way. If you want to upgrade the quality of your future video marketing campaigns, look no further than DreamItReel. From pre-production to post-production, DreamItReel offers a suite of services that are designed to make your video marketing easy and affordable. Contact us on our website to learn more.