Bic prank rant

Apparently Bic pens sell everywhere like hotcakes- except for Germany. So Bic hired the much hyped and super creative agency Jung von Matt to change that fact.

Here is what they did: In a series of so called virals they ask so called celebrities to sign a so called autograph for them. But the stars actually sign things like a marriage agreement with a stranger, a job application as a store detective or a press release that they'll dedicate themselves to Austrian folklore. According to the videos this proves: "With Bic you'll sign everything".



In my view this just proves that no one is impeccable - celebrities are not and great ad agencies aren't, either:

First, don't preemptively call your videos "viral". Online plus video does not automatically equal viral. The very thing about virals is that they evolve because users like what they see. You can't decree virals. If your most watched video has 8.000 views, I would hesitate to call the whole series viral. Especially after you have advertised it on a popular student website.

Second, if you want to improve sales in a country via online tools, at least do your homework and provide a homepage for that country.

Third, the videos could have been really funny if they would have showed the reaction of the stars after they signed the fake autograph. The funniest part about a prank is usually when the victim realizes they just got punked. Without that, all we get to see is a gleeful presenter with a blurry sheet of paper. Unless the stars watch the video they'll never realize that they did something special with a special pen.

And fourth, the message - Bic is such a great pen that you'll want to use it at any price - does not work that way, either. The stars don't know what they sign, they don't care. They don't sign the fake stuff because of the great pen, but because somebody makes them believe it is a boring autograph just like the hundred other ones they sign every day. With Bic you don't think about what you write?

The core idea is still great, however. With or without celebrities: Show Steve Jobs as he signs a receipt for a PC. Show a punk signing a contract for a Wall Street Journal subscription. Show a Democrat signing an "I <3 Bush" flyer. You get the idea... (PS: Yes, Jung von Matt if you get the idea as well: I would be available for a job as a creative consultant with your agency. I would even sign the contract with a BIC pen).

What do you think about the Bic prank?

There's that word again.... VIRAL

With YouTube videos like the recently popular St. Paul Wedding Entrance (over 9 million views!) exploding into VIRAL status, it's no wonder communications clients are clamoring to create their own viral videos. Nine million views? That's a HUGE measure. In digital content such as social media it can sometimes be hard to measure the return on investment, which is why viral videos are so appealing to communications clients.

Viral videos can't be created out of thin air, however. Local video expert Jake Nyberg states in WCCO's recent Good Question segment, "I often tell people who want to go viral: viral is not a strategy, it's an outcome. Can you make a good attempt? Certainly." Nyberg is a partner at Three Volts, a Minneapolis video production and marketing firm, and has been enlisted to create many of these attempts in his career.

Nyberg makes a great point, viral isn't a strategy. Often, people assume slapping a branded video together and uploading it to YouTube makes it "viral." In fact, viral can't be promised to any client. Libby Issendorf put it this way: "I still use the word viral, but I'm careful to say it 'could have viral potential'"

That's not to say we in the communications biz should stop trying. "You have to do something authentic that you had no intention of going viral," Nyberg said in his WCCO interview, and it's good advice. Online video can be great exposure to a brand, even without the viral status. And every so often, a viral attempt succeeds.

But we have to realize that in the end, we might get outshined by videos that are very real and human, and tug at the heartstrings ever so slightly.

Libby Issendorf likes this: Modern Amusement

Remember when Erin and I yelled about social media not being an awareness driver? There are a few rare exceptions. One I'd like to highlight comes from apparel brand Modern Amusement. They're a relatively obscure (some might say hipster) brand looking to get their name out with, presumably, no budget. They asked existing Facebook fans to submit photos of them in Modern Amusement clothing. The photo with the most "Likes" wins. That's it. It requires minimal effort for existing fans (most already have a photo on their computer or on Facebook), it's dead simple for Modern Amusement to track the leaders, and it invites fans organically through their network.

For brands with huge awareness already, like Volkswagen or Starbucks, a contest like this might not invite the level of engagement they're seeking. These brands also have highly recognizable products that don't require an entire fan photo album to showcase. But for Modern Amusement, this is the perfect way to introduce themselves. Fans are basically building them a free catalog and endorsing it. When the contest is over, they should comment on these photos with Buy links to the merchandise in the photos, or tag them with the name of the clothing item.

And all you Yaybia readers should absolutely become fans of Modern Amusement and click "Like" on the photo of my co-worker Chase (the entry pictured here), who introduced me to the contest in the first place.

*Side note: Remember BMW films and how revolutionary it was to put VIDEO on the INTERNET? Moment of silence for Fallon's glory days.

Happy Friday from Yaybia! We interviewed "Kittens Inspired by Kittens" girl Maddie Kelly

UPDATE: we have taken down the other video for further editing, it will be back up on Monday!

Kittens Inspired by Kittens has racked up over 5 million views on the Internet in the last week. We got the sneak peak of the upcoming videos that she'll be making!

And yes, she is really that adorable and energetic in real life!

In A Truly Absolut World

Nobody likes a fun viral placement more than me. And few are better at creating conversation than Absolut, which we yaybies have blogged about previously.

My new favorite Absolut venture was their Absolut Cash Machine - fitting well into their "In An Absolut World" campaign. This launched in the spring of 2007, but I still appreciate it, having stumbled upon it today. They set up cash machines to have a "Happy Hour" during which money was given away for free. In Europe (America wants free money too!) 12,000 Euro were given away that day during the Happy Hour and Absolut created a buzz for itself.

Now if only I liked vodka.

Obit for a summer spot

This commercial made me cry every time I saw it. With this tear-jerking spot the Deutsche Telekom, Germany's biggest telecommunications corporation, introduced its new company-wide line "Experience what connects (us)". The copy translates: "Life presents us with extraordinary moments. How wonderful that we can share them with others."

I loved the original Paul Potts video. I forwarded it to many of my friends and watched it all over again and again myself. Perhaps I even cried once or twice. And then came the Telekom and ruined it all forever. I just don't see the "connection."

Maybe it’s because all summer long the really long spot bombarded me during every commercial break on every channel, before every movie I watched in theaters and even online (oh yes, singing banner ads). Your very own special moment – 20 times a day. That heavy rotation could have killed it even if I would have loved it in the beginning.

Maybe it’s because I didn’t like the timing. Paul Potts’ “Britain’s Got Talent” performance was back in June 2007 and his video became a youtube hit shortly afterwards. Somebody at Telekom should have listened to Nessun dorma (Italian for “None shall sleep”) much sooner. Besides, the spot always felt more like Christmas to me - too much opera and emotions for hot summer days.

Maybe it’s because the Telekom tried too hard to create a “real” Lady-Di(e) moment - everybody in Germany remembers what they did when they heard that Princess Diana was killed in a car accident. Many also remember what they felt when they first saw Paul Potts on “Germany’s Got Talent”. Oh no, wait… So, I wonder are all those people in the spot British? It’s kinda like if AT&T would air a Superbowl spot with Herbert Grönemeyer. See!

So us Germans either knew Paul from youtube - but then the whole clip with background story, uncut aria and real tears was much more moving then the commercial. Or we have not heard about that chubby, Welsh guy before...but without the Cinderella story, there is not much of a story. Thankfully, the Telekom presented us with a number of deeply-stirred people so even the dumbest Kraut must have realized that it’s time to be moved. You know, we are an uncaring people, so you better not trust us when it comes to feelings and all that crap.

But probably I don't like the spot because sweet emotions and the Telekom don’t fit. They supply wires and contracts, not content and contacts. The former state-owned company is notorious for its bad customer service and high prices, and recently it had to face a number of serious scandals. Hence their effort to improve their image. The question is: Would I like the commercial if it was for a likeable brand? Or are real-life wonder and authentic magic simply too big to be pocketed by any brand?

Undoubtedly the spot worked great. For Paul Potts at least - his album became an instant top hit in Germany. And the highjacked viral spot became a viral itself. For days, the blogosphere talked about nothing else –with mixed results. Even I love one thing about the spot: The fact that a crappy telecommunications company tries to improve its image with a guy who obviously was NOT very happy selling mobile phones!

The art of shaving, kissing and microsites

I wish there would have been microsites back when I was middle school. I could have just forwarded this link to Simon, aka. the Tongue Twister. And to Stephan, the Throat Digger. Oh, and to Chris, the Wet Whirl.

To beard or not to beard, that is the question

BBDO created a fairly entertaining and educating page for Gillette. A middle-aged guy and a couple of attractive ladies offer lessons in love to men in need. The message is that a clean-shaven face is the first step on the path to the perfect kiss. Guys who prefer a little stubble can only learn how to shake hands in about 500 ways. Maybe my early experiences would have been more pleasant after some virtual tutoring for the above mentioned boys. In their particular case, however, the benefit for Gillette would have been rather marginal. They hardly had any facial hair yet, apart from eyebrows.

To be precise, the microsite is for the Gillette Fusion safety razor. Fusion seems rather appropriate, considering the viral videos that two of Gillette's competitors have released way earlier. An advergame and related trailer from JWT Paris for Wilkinson stars a baby and his daddy fighting for mommy's kisses. When the dad finally figures out that the toddler's competitive edge is his soft skin he simply shaves. Now the son has to come up with new ways to get his mother's attention and rival his father.

Would you kiss this guy?

A Phillips microsite with hilarious videos (in the "body" part, warning NSFW) features a grown-up fratboy, who talks and sings about the change in his life after he started using the Bodygroom razor. The creative campaign increased the razor's sale beyond expectations and earned Tribal DDB New York tons of awards. Props to Phillips for having enough balls to run the racy site!

As a girl, I might not be able to compare the actual product benefits of the different razors in questions. However, I still know about shaving: My legs are much longer and generally less hairy than most male faces. And as the shaving results on some boy's cheeks and chins show as well, the right tool is not enough. It also takes talent for smooth skin. The same is true for a smoth kiss by the way. Luckily for us girls (and for Simon, Chris and Stephan) both skills can be learned.

YAYBIA GOT GOLD