Social Media Promotions Of The week: 05/04/2013
The majority of this week’s social media promotions were April Fools-themed, with quite a few companies flexing their prankster muscles on Monday. I have chosen the five best prank viral videos from the last week, collated two from the same company, and thrown in a final non-April Fools, non-viral video promotion to keep things interesting.
1. YouTube – YouTube’s Ready to Select a Winner
YouTube’s clever prank video, which has almost 10 million views on the site, suggests that the video sharing service has in fact been a competition all along, searching for the best video in the world.
It is doubtful that anyone actually fell for the prank after watching the entire video (the notion that the YouTube staff could sift through every YouTube video uploaded to the site is ridiculous), but the time and effort put into the prank – two unfortunate souls read out nominees for 12 hours straight in another video – is commendable.
It is also nice to see some familiar faces, made famous by YouTube, featuring in the video – Antoine Dodson, who promised his sister’s assaulter that he would find them, is one of the judges.
viewers are invited to nominate their own favourites using the hashtag #bestvideo.
2. Google – Google Nose and Gmail Blue
Not content with their affiliate YouTube’s April Fools day prank, Google created a few more videos, advertising “new”, fictional, products.
Google Nose is a program for all devices which can identify different smells using the Google search engine, share them between friends, and then release them from the device for users to smell.
Gmail Blue is Gmail, but blue.
The videos perfectly send up the overused talking heads style of technology advertisement, with a number of Google employees sitting on stools and telling the viewer about the products’ advantages, the interviews interspersed with ridiculously happy people trying the products out themselves.
Both videos have over 5 million views on YouTube.
3. Capital One – Superstars
Do you remember Microstars? The big-headed, 2 inch high football figurine collectables from the 1990s? Well, credit card company Capital One are rewarding 1,000 of their Facebook fans with one-of-a-kind replica football figurines just like the old 90s big-heads.
Fans just have to upload a photo, take one with a webcam or choose one on Facebook to be in with a chance of receiving their very own mini version of themselves, with name and kit number emblazoned on the back.
Capital One sponsored this year’s league cup, which Swansea City won in February with a 5-0 victory over Bradford City.
4. Scope Mouthwash – Bacon Mouthwash
The pick of the April Fool YouTube videos not created by Google or the video sharing site themselves is Scope’s effort, which advertises a new flavour of mouthwash – bacon.
Bacon mouthwash, according to Scope, is the next level of bacon use, level 11 in fact.
the video, which has fooled a fair few, has been viewed almost 4 million times on YouTube.
Bwin – Telepathic Football
It’s the Manchester United stars of yesteryear, Andy Cole and Dwight York, versus three of their formidable current strikers, in a test of the footballers’ telepathic links.
Cole and Yorke are widely recognised as the most devastating striking partnership in Premier League history, renowned for their almost telepathic understanding of each other.
In Bwin’s video – subtly advertising themselves with billboards in the background – Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck and Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez wear blindfolds to see if they can link up without the use of their sight. The results are both funny and impressive.
The video has over 2.5 million views on YouTube.
Which was your favourite April Fools promotion this week?
Contact us on Twitter, on Facebook, or leave your comments below.Will Sigsworth
Follow us @SocialMediaF & @WillAtSMF
Or go to our Facebook page.
1. YouTube – YouTube’s Ready to Select a Winner
YouTube’s clever prank video, which has almost 10 million views on the site, suggests that the video sharing service has in fact been a competition all along, searching for the best video in the world.
It is doubtful that anyone actually fell for the prank after watching the entire video (the notion that the YouTube staff could sift through every YouTube video uploaded to the site is ridiculous), but the time and effort put into the prank – two unfortunate souls read out nominees for 12 hours straight in another video – is commendable.
It is also nice to see some familiar faces, made famous by YouTube, featuring in the video – Antoine Dodson, who promised his sister’s assaulter that he would find them, is one of the judges.
viewers are invited to nominate their own favourites using the hashtag #bestvideo.
2. Google – Google Nose and Gmail Blue
Not content with their affiliate YouTube’s April Fools day prank, Google created a few more videos, advertising “new”, fictional, products.
Google Nose is a program for all devices which can identify different smells using the Google search engine, share them between friends, and then release them from the device for users to smell.
Gmail Blue is Gmail, but blue.
The videos perfectly send up the overused talking heads style of technology advertisement, with a number of Google employees sitting on stools and telling the viewer about the products’ advantages, the interviews interspersed with ridiculously happy people trying the products out themselves.
Both videos have over 5 million views on YouTube.
3. Capital One – Superstars
Do you remember Microstars? The big-headed, 2 inch high football figurine collectables from the 1990s? Well, credit card company Capital One are rewarding 1,000 of their Facebook fans with one-of-a-kind replica football figurines just like the old 90s big-heads.
Fans just have to upload a photo, take one with a webcam or choose one on Facebook to be in with a chance of receiving their very own mini version of themselves, with name and kit number emblazoned on the back.
Capital One sponsored this year’s league cup, which Swansea City won in February with a 5-0 victory over Bradford City.
4. Scope Mouthwash – Bacon Mouthwash
The pick of the April Fool YouTube videos not created by Google or the video sharing site themselves is Scope’s effort, which advertises a new flavour of mouthwash – bacon.
Bacon mouthwash, according to Scope, is the next level of bacon use, level 11 in fact.
the video, which has fooled a fair few, has been viewed almost 4 million times on YouTube.
Bwin – Telepathic Football
It’s the Manchester United stars of yesteryear, Andy Cole and Dwight York, versus three of their formidable current strikers, in a test of the footballers’ telepathic links.
Cole and Yorke are widely recognised as the most devastating striking partnership in Premier League history, renowned for their almost telepathic understanding of each other.
In Bwin’s video – subtly advertising themselves with billboards in the background – Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck and Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez wear blindfolds to see if they can link up without the use of their sight. The results are both funny and impressive.
The video has over 2.5 million views on YouTube.
Which was your favourite April Fools promotion this week?
Contact us on Twitter, on Facebook, or leave your comments below.Will Sigsworth
Follow us @SocialMediaF & @WillAtSMF
Or go to our Facebook page.
Social Media Promotions Of The week: 05/04/2013
Reviewed by Unknown
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Friday, April 05, 2013
Rating:
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Friday, April 05, 2013
Rating:
Unknown
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