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: