30 Apr 12

"Push to add drama"

by Greg Russell, Trainee Planner/Buyer

For those that haven’t seen the most recent outdoor viral sensation then I would recommend following this link and watching the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=316AzLYfAzw.

The campaign was created to introduce the TNT TV channel in Belgium. A large red button was placed in the middle of a quiet town, along with a ‘Push to Add Drama’ sign placed above. Cue the action and what could only be described as an episode of Casualty on speed, including a flurry of fist-fights, medical personnel, and scantily clad bikers, with an American Football Team defensive line brought in for the clean-up at the end. Whilst onlookers were at first startled by what was occurring, they soon realised they were witnessing an ad for TNT, a station that promises “Your Daily Dose of Drama”.

This proved to be a hugely effective way of finding a creative solution to promote a new TV channel, in the space of a week there were more than 24million views and 225,000+ likes on YouTube. However even though the stunt was such an internet success, the ad wasn’t trying to be viral for the sake of being viral. The ad embodies what TNT is selling, it is funny, unexpected and provides people with content to discuss, share and have conversations about, much like TNT would hope people do with their TV shows.

The benefits of creating an outdoor campaign that goes viral are clear to see, with massive exposure online causing what was ‘only’ an outdoor campaign to become multi-channel. However it still has to communicate the clear proposition that the brand is offering. Viral for the sake of viral is not the answer.