Sunday 19 February 2012

And so it came to pass

Back in March 2009 I predicted that a TV comedy show about advertising that I'd seen on a flight across Australia would eventually be launched in the UK. And it has been (sort of).

Watch the Mad Bad Ad Show on Friday nights.

Thursday 2 February 2012

Going viral

Advertisers dream of producing an ad that's so creative, so compelling, that their friends, fans and followers pass it around amongst themselves (at no further cost to the advertiser) so they reach a wider audience and ultimately, sell more stuff.

However, those that try to 'go viral' rarely do. 

After much research and analysis (well, a little bit of common sense and thought), here are my 5 components of an effective viral ad:
  1. Creativity
  2. Humour
  3. Fit with brand
  4. Music
  5. Cats (optional)
As I've banged on about time and time again in this blog, advertising these days boils down to providing entertainment as well as, or instead of, just information.

Here's a great example of a viral ad that works: