Posted 04.14.08

NEW BLOG SERIES!

To Catch a Viral: is a recurring weekly post featuring videos that we, at GeniusRocket, think are poised to go viral.

Every week we'll be posting a new "To Catch a Viral" blog to showcase videos we think are on the cusp of an online explosion. But, this isn't a one way street...er blog, we want to know what you think. We'd like this to be a collaborative learning process, where, week after week, we all get a little sharper at recognizing components of viral videos. It is our hope that, along with our creators, GeniusRocket can learn how to better help our "brands" navigate this elusive process.

Tell us if you agree with our pick(s), and why, and share the video with your friends; if we've picked poorly please share why and recommend another video for us (even if you have to create it yourself).

Dan Ackerman Remixed To...Create...a Viral?!

Talk about major potential for...irony. This video, focusing on Dan Ackerman's formula for creating a viral may itself go viral. Is there a simple formula here? Or, is this formula more complex than it appears on the surface, one that is more of an art than a science? Will the exposure of such "formulas" decrease the usefulness of the tactics, forcing a whole new line of creativity on the creators? We want to know what you think.

In under 1 week, since April 2nd, 2008 this video has enlightened 113,000 viewers!

ArtieTSMITW The 30 Second Video

Of course, one can take these "rules" too literally, or too far. Is ArtieTSMITW's video an example of this, or will his "mocking" the "rules" take him viral? He has nearly 130,000 views in 2 weeks.

Screaming Frog The Job With the credit crunch, the housing collapse, the cost of oil and food skyrocketing, and everyday bringing new reports of higher unemployment and fresh corporate layoffs, there's no doubt that many Americans are feeling anxious about the economy -- feeling, in short, that the tables have been turned on them.

This new video from Screaming Frog taps into that zeitgeist, literally turning the tables on what one would expect to see at a day-laborer work center. Like any good satire, it taps into issues that we're all a little uncomfortable talking about, from economic insecurity to race relations.

Whether one finds it funny or uncomfortable to watch, it's clear that "The Job" has resonated with a lot of people, soaring to more than 113,000 views on YouTube alone in just over a week. And unlike the Dow Jones Industrial Average, we're reasonably certain that the total number of viewers of "The Job" will rise in the coming weeks.

"Honda Accord" When Things Just Work

Where is the "tipping point" for branding? When does a great video become too much of an ad to forward to friends? Our first video this week indicates that your "viral video cannot be a commercial", because "people do not forward commercials", are you forwarding this?

This video has been around for some time, since September of 2006, but its domino effect has begun again and it's, once again, rolling, tipping, and bumping its way to over 3.2m people.

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Viral Admiral's Warning: Think you've been exposed to, or started, a contagious viral? Do not self medicate! Report the viral to: Containment@GeniusRocket.com

Around the Viral Web - Vol. 1, Num. 1

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