If you ever hear a commuter’s contagious chuckling on the tube or a co-worker desperately stifling a giggle at something on their computer, chances are they’re watching a brand’s viral marketing campaign.
Being funny is a fine art, and, with so many wonderfully witty campaigns floating around the internet, it’s good to remind ourselves on what a little risk-taking and wild creativity can do for our lives.
So, without further ado, here’s our roundup of our marketing campaigns guaranteed to turn that frown upside down…
Volvo Trucks
How does the world’s second largest heavy-duty truck brand get people to take an interest in their transport solutions? With an imaginative marketing campaign featuring a full-size truck, a little girl with a remote control and a massive obstacle course.
This hugely imaginative campaign revved its way to viral stardom, racking up over 11 million views (and counting) on YouTube and demonstrating both the qualities of Volvo’s vehicles and the power of social storytelling.
Ikea Cats
Everyone knows cat clips rule the internet. So, banking on the most popurrrlar (sorry) online content to date, Ikea let loose 100 cats into one of their stores. The result? Paw-sibly the sweetest marketing advert to grace the World Wide Web.
Metro Trains Melbourne
When a metropolitan rail service’s PSA ad hits the top 10 chart on iTunes, they’re doing something right.
Launched by Metro Trains Melbourne in November, 2012, Dumb Ways to Die remains to be the world’s most shared safety campaign video, with over 143 million views (!). The animated music video uses black humour to promote train safety, featuring a bunch of ridiculously cute cartoon characters killing themselves in ridiculously absurd ways.
More catchy than Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger.
Dollar Shave Club
A startup with little to no marketing budget? No problem.
Just take notes from personal grooming delivery service Dollar Shave Club, whose very own CEO stepped in as leading man for the company’s hilariously deadpan ad.
Though it does help to have a gifted actor as your CEO…
Squatty Potty
Toilet humour. It never gets old.
With this already to their advantage, American personal care company Squatty Potty definitely didn’t need to think too much out the box when advertising their toilet accessory stool. That didn’t stop them, though.
A unicorn, rainbow poop and 29 million views later, the Squatty Potty has encouraged healthy, happy bowel movements since its conception.
JetBlue
Let’s not lie — having to listen to a baby cry during an already excruciating long flight is the absolute worst.
As there’s really no solving the crying-baby-on-plane predicament, American airline JetBlue decided to take matters into their own hands: by turning squeals and tantrums into an incentive.
These passengers were definitely in the right place, at the right time…
Pepsi Max
Coca-Cola, who? Surprising Londoners with an augmented reality stunt, Pepsi Max’s Unbelievable Bus Shelter campaign definitely left its mark on the capital and the rest of the world.
A bus-stop-window-turned- digital-poster bringing flying saucers and laser-shooting robots to life? That’s a thrilling commute if we ever did see one.
Command
We hope whoever was behind this damage-free hanging solution company’s marketing campaign got a gargantuan pay rise, for this is just sheer brilliance.
Bringing everyone’s favourite 90s icon back to big screens, metallic pants and all, 3M’s Command strips commissioned MC Hammer to front a new campaign for its hammer-less picture hanging strips. STOP Hammer Time, quite literally.
If this isn’t serendipitous marketing, we don’t know what is.