What are some of the best branded viral videos of all time? Depends who you ask. There are a lot of ranking lists floating around, and the criteria can be a little murky. Most of these lists are based on total views, but even that can be misleading. For example in AdAge, they rank Blendtec’s “Will it Blend” campaign as one of the best viral videos of all time. But they count every video in the entire campaign, not just one breakout success. No big deal. However, in the same list, they separated out the Old Spice campaigns into individual videos. So who is to say which branded viral videos are truly the best? We could spend all day watching awesome old campaigns, so we thought we’d bring you a list of cool videos from recent and bygone history, but we’ll spare you the (non)scientific data. These are just awesome viral videos we love and wish we’d come up with.
Evian Strikes Gold (Twice) With Babies
Evian Water hit the jackpot in 2009 with their Roller Babies video, but their new Baby & Me campaign is one of the most-watched branded commercials of all time. The 2013 campaign was so popular, in fact, that Evian created a smartphone app where you can “baby yourself.’
These videos are awesome because…well…who doesn’t love babies doing cool things? The music choices in both videos are darn near perfect and babies + great music = awesomeness.
Original Roller Babies
Baby & Me (note how far we’ve come graphically since 2009)
The Old Spice Guy
There’s not much left to be said about these Old Spice Videos. They had a great run. The “Old Spice Guy” shone a fresh light on an old brand. These videos appealed to older men, younger men, and even women. It was an all-inclusive, all-appealing campaign that started on YouTube and became a traditional commercial success. The campaign was so successful, in fact, that Sesame Street even got in on the action.
And Here is Grover’s Version
May The Force Be With Your Volkswagen
This viral video started out on TV in 2011 and became an internet sensation. Who doesn’t love messing with kids in a harmless way? And really, anything that incorporates Darth Vader without being cheesy is always fun to watch. AdAge poo-pooed it, saying that it could have just as easily been a McDonald’s commercial. But most everyone else disagrees. In the two hours after the Super Bowl, the commercial had 10 million views, which means people remembered it and sought it out. This video was a slam dunk, once again appealing to just about every demo in one swoop.
K-Mart Proves Bad Words Are Still Funny
K-Mart’s “Ship My Pants” campaign was a huge success, proving everyone, everywhere still thinks swear words and potty humor are pretty hilarious.
Destroying Stuff Appeals to the Masses
Had you heard of Blendtec Blenders before they started producing their “Will it Blend” videos, destroying everything from golf balls to iPads to (ack!) skeletons? We hadn’t, either. Viewers flocked to this series because we all have a sick fascination with wrecking stuff. And who hasn’t wanted to break their iPad at one point or another? These videos are great because they are straightforward. They don’t use a lot of fancy music or effects. They are just awesome demos of how strong the blenders are.
Appealing To Gen Y (And You Thought You’d Never See Pogs Again)
Since this list is extremely nonscientific, we’re going to make a bold, nonscientific statement. We’d venture to guess that most Gen-Y-ers don’t use Internet Explorer unless forced to in the workplace. To their credit, the folks at Internet Explorer seem to be pretty self-aware of their status among browsers. So they took us on a walk down memory lane with their “Child of the 90’s” video. Did it work? We’re not sure. Plus, who played Oregon Trail in the 90’s? But we applaud their thinking. Everybody connects with nostalgia.
DC Shoes, Insane Driving, And Long Viral Videos
Ken Block’s Gymkhana videos are awesome. It doesn’t matter how old you are, what your gender is, or where you live, you can find something epic in his mad driving skills. Watching this guy maneuver a custom Ford Fiesta around the obstacles of an urban landscape (or Universal Studios) is just plain fun. Most people don’t even notice how long these videos are. And even though this is a DC ad, they sure do make Ford Fiestas seem AMAZING.
Kenny Powers for K-Swiss
We have no idea who decided to use fictional character Kenny Powers from Eastbound and Down as a spokesperson for non-fictional shoe company K-Swiss, but whoever (s)he is, we thank you. This is NSFW, by the way, so if you’re at work and you’ve never seen Danny McBride as Kenny Powers, MFCEO, you might want to pop in your earbuds.
Not only did they score McBride for this video, but there is an awesome parade of extreme athletes and millionaires, as well. (Is there nothing Mark Cuban won’t do for extra cash?)
Kenny Powers doesn’t appeal to everyone, but we think this concept is still pretty genius.
Clydesdales. Always.
People love those Budweiser Clydesdales. They are a symbol of iconic American advertising. But it can be easy to run something like this into the ground after years and years of advertising. Thankfully, Budweiser knows how to keep the material fresh, and knows how to touch our hearts year after year. And every so often they come up with a concept that drives grown men to tears during America’s favorite football game. Here are two of the most memorable offline videos that became viral sensations. One recent, and one from 2002. Have a hanky handy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNWURTYwn3k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px5YcOeQB4I
Pepsi Rides the Gladiator Wave of An Older Generation
Britney. Beyonce. Pink. And Enrique? In 2003, Pepsi took four celebs, flew them to Rome, and filmed a rockin’ ad that still gets millions of hits, ten years later. It’s a simple concept. They ride the success of Russell Crowe’s blockbuster film and add in a classic Queen jam. And apparently, we still can’t get enough of it. We’re sure it’s the beautiful cinematography and not because of the teensy metal costumes, right?
We know this nonscientific list isn’t perfect. What are some of your favorite branded viral videos of all time? Let us know in the comments!