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As a marketer, theres nothing less cool than being seen trying to promote a viral campaign and failing. On the other hand, theres nothing cooler than a viral campaign taking off through no effort of your own.Its a bit like having a flat stomach: Theres much more cachet if you have good genes as opposed to constantly hitting the gym. Marketers can curse the gods for this profoundly unfair happenstance or they can get creative and release fake viral videos that are actually ads. Thats the approach the following have taken, and in each case, theyve been caught. (A shout out to Mark Book of Digitas for bringing some of these to our attention.)So, a few questions: Is it actually better to try to orchestrate a viral campaign in which you distance yourself from the campaign? Are there well-known viral videos out there that are actually ads and we just dont know about them? Why are so many Australians involved in these things? Discuss in the comments below. Evan Longoria's Crazy Bare Hand Catch (Gillette) Tampa Bay Ray Evan Longoria gallantly saves a female reporter from being impaled by a baseball with a hard-to-believe barehanded catch.Why this is suspect:1. The reporter has no logo on her microphone.2. fMrSprts12, the YouTube entity that uploaded the video, has previously only uploaded videos related to Gillette. How to Hack Video Screens in Times Square (Limitless) A guy with an iPhone hacks into electric signs at Times Square.How we know it's fake:1. The people behind the video, a viral marketing company called Thinkmodo, admitted it to The New York Times.2. A second video shows the inspiration behind the stunt: A fictional drug called NZT that's featured in the movie. Walk on Water (Hi-Tec) Aussies develop a new sport called Liquid Mountaineering that involves walking on water.How we know it's fake:1. Duh.2. The shoes figure very prominently in the video.3. The video was uploaded by Hi-Tec. Kevin Durant is Moving In Right Now (Nike) Mathias Murphy, a 16-year-old fan who lives near Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant films his idol moving in and taking out the trash.Why it's fake:1. Nike's agency, Wieden + Kennedy, admitted as much. Bike Hero (Guitar Hero) A young bicyclist plays a version of Guitar Hero using his bike and the asphalt below.How we know it's a fake:Activision and ad agency CDroga5 fessed up. Are You My Man in the Jacket? (Witchery) An attractive Aussie woman met this guy a few days ago and, well -- this is a bit embarrassing -- she can't stop thinking about him. Luckily, he left his Witchery jacket behind.How we know it's fake:The Sydney Morning Herald revealed the hoax. Rear View Girls (Levi's) Two enterprising women in Los Angeles plant an "ass cam" on their posteriors and record the reactions.How we know it's fake: Agency Colenso BBDO admitted it was, uh, behind the effort. Butterfly Attack (Qualcomm) In an elaborate April Fool's joke, Qualcomm releases a fake video showing people attacked by butterflies.How we know it's fake:Qualcomm told Mashable about the stunt, which was designed to promote its mirasol technology. Danish One-Night Stand (VisitDenmark) Similar in theme to Witchery's viral ad, a Danish woman releases a video aimed at the father of her young son, who was conceived in a one-night stand.How we know it's fake:A Danish newspaper revealed the hoax.More About: advertising, levis, List, Lists, MARKETING, Nike, qualcomm, social media, video, viral marketing, viral videos, VisitDenmark, youtubeFor more Business & Marketing coverage:Follow Mashable Business & Marketing on TwitterBecome a Fan on FacebookSubscribe to the Business & Marketing channelDownload our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad Read More ...
