Can brands be funny enough? (Or: Beat the meat)

Link: A branded viral video from BullsEye created by Greg Auer and Patrick Durkin at DRAFTFCB-Chicago.

I'm posting this for two reasons.

First: Let's forget the video for a moment. Greg sent me the single-most effective pitch email I've ever received. For those of you readers who are also fellow bloggers, you are no doubt familiar with the range of "outreach" activities perpetrated on bloggers by traditional PR types - emailed press releases, faux attempts at familiarity, strange headlines with disjointed form letters, etc.

While I'm sure it was still a form letter, Greg went about it in a much more genuine way. Summary: I'm proud of this work. I'm trying to get it out there. Will you post it?

THAT kind of approach makes the world seem smaller and more collegial. And, it gets response.

Second reason: This video is cute. It gets at lots of the "just a big kid" personality play of America's Joe Lawnmower-Griller. But, is it really fun enough to be viral?

Maybe.

As more brands get into this space of trying to be the post-next-door on YouTube and MySpace and (please let's stop) Second Life, I have to wonder how many brands can really pull it off.

Some of you are likely thinking: Subservient Chicken. That was 2004. What truly viral (meaning sans huge PR campaigns) site / campaign / video  has had that enduring and wide-spread success since then? I think Ted Ferguson could easily be nominated. Maybe a few others. But, for the few viral wins by brands, there are hundreds and hundreds of losers. Ideas micromanaged from laugh-out-loud funny to wouldn't-even-make-me-chuckle. Copywriters so deluged with brand attributes that they can't string a knock-knock joke together. Art directors who've jammed a logo on every frame.

Strategically, I think Miller Lite had the right approach back in 2005 - picking up the Carson's Christmas display - those flashing holiday lights synchronized with the Trans Siberian Orchestra score. It was proven viral. People liked it. It had the low pro, authentic feel. Miller Lite added corporate sponsorship and gave it an even wider reach.

For those of us with clients who may not be funny from white paper, it seems like a logical approach to present a slate of proven-viral hot candidates to approach for sponsorship ... before we drag out our home video cameras and water balloons.

Comments

[Jetpacks]

It was a good video, and I enjoyed the whole thing - but is it good enough for me to send links around to my friends and colleagues, as in, "Check out this funny video I saw at YouTube?" Nope.

Worse: will I remember the Bullseye brand when I'm shopping for barbecue sauce? Nope. Midwest Rocker Drummer Dude, no matter that he seems like he'd be a fun bud to have, is not switching me from whatever barbecue sause it is I buy, and I'm not even sure what that is, but it's got a honey tinge.