What does it take to make a video go viral? Honestly, it is a combination of many different things. There is no fixed rule or list of things that is guaranteed to make your video go viral. It is completely possible for a well-thought-out, brilliantly-directed branded video, produced by an incredibly expensive video production company to get less views than a random video of a cat sneezing. It all depends on who your audience is.
Knowing your demographic, their likes and dislikes, their culture, their social inclinations, etc. can really give you an edge when making a good video, such as a branded video. It can seriously up your chances of making a viral video. But again, it is not a guaranteed cheat that allows you to win the game every time.
To better understand how videos spread and, more importantly, why they are shared or viewed, let’s examine seven of the most viral brand videos of the past two years.
A little over three months ago, Apple made a video featuring one of their tablets. The branded video has already had over 4 million views in three months.
The viral brand video is about an Autistic boy who finds it challenging to verbalize his thoughts, needs and emotions. Because of his disability, he is viewed differently by people around him. They don’t understand his challenges and are hence apathetic towards him.
Eventually, he (Dillan) uses the tablet’s “Speak” option to communicate with the people around him. The video ends with him giving his class graduation speech. Dillan narrates the entire video, which enhances its impact tenfold.
They did a good job pulling on the viewer’s heartstrings with this one. What we most appreciated about this video is that it isn’t all “up in your face” with the product. The tablet is mostly in the background, while the video attempts to create awareness and provide a helpful solution.
It is no secret that Coca-Cola makes viral brand videos pretty well. This is probably because their video production team really knows their demographic and it helps that they have been around for ages! Most of their videos target teenagers and young adults.
This branded video is about making friends on the first day of college when everything is awkward and no one knows anyone.
The video is relatable to a huge percentage of the world’s population, which is why it was viewed and shared all over 9.8 million times on social media.. Another reason why this video went viral could be that they designed a whole new bottle just for this ad campaign. If you haven’t seen it yet, it is definitely worth a watch.
Although this viral branded video was made in 2014, but it really is one of Coca Cola’s best, and definitely deserves to be on this list.
This viral brand video is probably one of the most famous branded videos and is definitely the ultimate video for any stunt-crazed sports junkies out there.
It is basically a series of really cool stunts set up in a chain reaction obstacle course-type arrangement where only the completion of the previous stunt can begin the next one. The stunts feature everything from sky diving, to skateboard stunts, bicycles, motorcycles and even a race car. The video ends with the last stunt setting off an arrangement that breaks a block of ice inside which there is a frozen can of Red Bull.
This viral brand video’s sheer intensity is what probably made it go viral. It literally has you at the edge of your seat the entire time, s0 it is no wonder that it has over 25.6 million views on YouTube today.
Yes, Durex, the condom company. And no, this video is not inappropriate, and it has nothing to do with sex. However, it sends a powerful social message to people who allow entirely technology to take over their lives.
The viral brand video is a series of interviews conducted by a therapist that features various couples talking about how big a part technology plays in their daily lives. After realizing that most couples value their devices more than their partner, the therapist suggests that they use their phones and tablets to enhance the time they spend together in the bedroom. How? Watch the video to find out!
Surprisingly, condoms are not featured in this video, yet they have reached 37.6 million views!
This video, a series of interviews conducted on girls and women of different ages, tackles the issue of the derogatory connotation of the phrase “like a girl.” For instance “don’t throw like a girl” or “he runs like a girl.” Instead of portraying strength and confidence, the phrase is immediately associated with weakness and lack of skill – immensely offensive, in our opinion.
What’s really sad is that even women have subconsciously begun to use the phrase as an insult. However, the video tastefully tackles this issue and slowly throws light on how the phrase can be spun into a compliment. This video has received over 62.1 million views since it was posted in June 2014.
Yet another video with a social message! Social messages seem to be the trend with viral videos today. Take a hint!
This is another one that will pull at your heart strings. The video is about a girl, Stephanie, whose father is an engineer on a satellite in space and does not get to meet his family for long stretches of time.
With a little help from Hyundai, the daughter writes a message on the ground, large enough for her dad to see from space. It definitely has the “cool” element but mostly, it’s a sweet father-daughter love theme that is bound to get at least 4 out of 5 viewers to share the video.
With over 77.4 million, this video is definitely one of the most viewed brand commercials of the past 2 years.
If you haven’t seen this one, the only thing we’re going to tell you is that it stars Jean-Claude Van Damme, it is the coolest video on YouTube, and it most certainly deserves way more than 83.9 million views. So go watch it now!
Most people don’t like Enya but this video’s soundtrack creates a beautiful contrast to the intensity of what is actually happening. Yes, the video is real and has not been tampered with.
And that concludes our 7 viral brand videos. As you can see, all the videos are entirely different in style, theme, and agenda. The bottom line is you have to create an entertaining video. If you’re out to sell, chances are your video won’t make it. Also, as we have seen, picking a social cause will do wonders for your video.
Contact us to know how we, at Toolbox Studio, can craft a brand video for your brand – a video that has all the essential ingredients that could make it (and your brand) go viral!
