Viral videos, in spite of hitting the ceiling for time trending, have remained relevant because they are irresistible. Thus, when they are anything less than scintillating, a public bored with quick-fix features will instantly click-away. Within the auto industry, there are three leaders who have made a mark for themselves amongst social media experts, both for viral ingenuity and panache.
1. As a prelude to the release of the Prius plural, Toyota unveiled a snapshot of the car in a viral video of world-renowned Brazilian skater Bob Burnquist doing his thing. Though the video only showed the cargo space of the new Prius, a brief glimpse of the hood, and a distant view of the body, fans went wild for the teaser, which was perfectly framed by the professional athlete.
In the past, Toyota has been a big success with videos like the Swagger Wagon and Small Talk.
2. A few years ago Volkswagen released a cheery video called Fast Lane, which showed people taking a slide instead of the stairs. Asking fans “What are you driven by?” Volkswagen seemingly answers its own question with a slide, roller skates, and an elevator (but not a VW).
3. In a hysterical challenge, Mini Cooper threw down in a match with Porsche in mid-2010. Sadly, Porsche declined the opportunity. In a cop-out to what could have been great entertainment and free publicity for both brands, Detlev Von Platen of Porsche took the opportunity to state that, “Porsche doesn’t race for fame, stunts or publicity. We race to challenge ourselves…”
One can only wonder what McDowell of Mini Cooper thought. Or, one can watch his response.
From fantastic to frank, funny to phantasmagoric, it seems that auto industry experts know what their fans like to see: muscle, speed, and testosterone-infused brand fighting.
The new harlem shake vids are insane… An agency in our field just made one and then it’s like everyone in the industry followed. Have to get on the band wagon 🙂
My favorite harlem shake version is the one from Matt & Kim at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DABphlXEyW8