I’m YouTubing… take a message
- Wed, November 08 2006
- Filed under: Social networking and web 2.0
This is so funny, I can’t stop watching it. The Huffington Post loved it too.
Check out more at PhilTube. After immediately asking me on the phone today if I was blogging, Phil later let on that “Hart + Larsson are the agency creative minds behind this PhilTube campaign and its brilliant execution.” That would be Phil himself.
I think that like most great things that go viral, it cleverly captures a latent but widespread phenomenon just waiting to be creatively expressed. In this case, it satirizes what’s popular, what’s contrived on YouTube and the general foaming-at-the-mouth for all things web 2.0—in a really original way. At least that’s what it means to me. And it’s funny.
By contrast, last night, I spent a good 60 minutes on YouTube looking at nonprofit videos, and it was like watching public access TV. Most were at least six minutes long and about as fresh as a canned PSA from the 1960s. They looked so tragically unhip amid Borat and shrimp on a treadmill. Most had been viewed by about 12 people—about the number of staff at the nonprofits in question.
I found only two I liked - one that wasn’t in English and this one:
I like it because it follows some basic rules of the YouTube world:
1.) Be authentic
2.) Be homemade
3.) Be original
4.) Let someone else have the camera—a supporter, a beneficiary, whatever
5.) Give up control—let that someone else say what they want
6.) Give people a reason to watch and something easy to do
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Comments
Do you think has any implications for nonprofit medimakers who put their work on YouTube? What do we need to saying to nonprofits and their media and YouTube, if anything?
http://offonatangent.blogspot.com/2006/11/verizon-youtube-to-exploit-video.html
Are you kidding? Be real and honest here.
I like it because it follows some basic rules of the YouTube world: Just because viral marketing works doesn’t mean that you trash rules from traditional media for YOUTUBE. If these are the rules of YOUTUBE, this video doesn’t make it. You might need to spend more than 60 minutes looking for better case studies.
1.) Be authentic—how authentic is this? It looks just like any other commercialized, sexually exploitive piece of mass media. I went to their website. How does an audience get the message that TIMOTCA serves as a catalyst for peace and cultural understanding from this PSA?
2.) Be homemade—this is hardly homemade. It’s slick and it’s slickly edited. It’‘s shot on location and in the studio. What nonprofits have that kind of money?
3.) Be original—Again hardly original. We see men taking their shirt off on soap operas. This doesn’t have any originality to it and we have no idea what the message or who the audience is.
4.) Let someone else have the camera—a supporter, a beneficiary, whatever. Oh really? That’s who’s holding the camera? I don’t think so. Who’s editing?
5.) Give up control—let that someone else say what they want
I guess that would be the woman with the sexual undertones.
6.) Give people a reason to watch and something easy to do
The something easy to do—is buy a shirt and why are we buying it? What does that stand for? At least with BONO’s “Red” campaign we know what and why we are buying. That works.
Let’s hope you won’t delete this comment. If you are really trying to be authentic, then you’ll create a dialogue around this. Allow an honest voice to come through from someone who genuinely does help nonprofits with economical and creative media and marketing. I’ll be watching and behind me are others too. So get real if you REALLY want to help nonprofits— and you’re right they need the help—desperately.
Wow, you are authentic. Of course I won’t delete your comment. I actually liked that piece because I found it authentically satirical, just like PhilTube. I think it’s poking fun at the very things you say it’s reinforcing. I guess that means I’m the audience and you’re not, but then I am predisposed to causes supporting edgy artists. Thanks for disagreeing, it makes things interesting—and authentic.
Hello.
I was just introduced to your blog last week by a person who works with the Health Department and uses social marketing. I work for a state agency that promotes recycling and created a campaign last year for 18-34 year olds.
Due to the target demographic I am now getting into viral marketing. We just put one of our new ads on YouTube. Please look at it and let me know what you think. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cymyrYZyDZU
I have enjoyed reading your blog. Keep up the great posts.
Thanks.
Hmm .. can slick or well done be authentic? Do poor production values have impact?