Happy 2009 boys and girls!  After some much needed rest and strategizin’, the Blend is back and so is this blog.  We got into a nice little groove in December and plan to continue that throughout this year – a lot to talk about, much to consider and a ton of bullshit to break through.

So to start the year off right, I wanted to remind everyone of what a good viral video is.  If you haven’t yet read my brilliant analysis on the viral medium, go check out my post on the Bill O’Reilly “We’ll Do It Live” video.   My point being that most viral marketing efforts suck, and few really understand what is required to make something “viral.”

But………..apparently someone at Samsung does!  I have been pondering getting a new phone, and the Samsung Omnia has caught my eye.  Curious, I trolled youtube for any out-of-box reviews or demos and came across this little gem.  Make sure you watch the whole thing – it gets good:

A fine example of what a viral video should be.  Let’s review why this piece works:

1. The video is based in the “mundane reality” or the “common everyday.”  Its anchored in something expected (in this case a product demo) and there’s no indication you’re going to be knocked off guard.
2. The piece then DOES knock you off guard!  After the button gets pressed, the rest of the video is total eye candy and a suspension of reality.  The effects are SO good you scratch your head wondering how they did that!
3. It’s a backhanded soft sell.  You’re not ready for it.  You’re engaged when it happens.  Your attention belongs to the marketer.
4. Due to the above, you as an individual have several legitimate reasons to share it with friends.  Maybe for the humor of it.  Maybe for the visual awe.  Maybe you want to play a quick practical joke and bate your friends into being fooled as you were.  Or maybe you just really like the product and want to use this as a sales tool yourself.

Ultimately, these traits are really no different than a Super Bowl commercial (the ORIGINAL viral video).  Granted, in this video you may not get to see the product ACTUALLY demonstrated, but that’s not the point.  The point is to create a memorable, sticky and sharable marketing experience that engages folks to dig deeper.

I encouragage you to go find another great example of viral marketing and keep it handy throughout 2009.  We are what we read and watch after all, so why not read or watch the best.

(ps, check out our kick-ass tag cloud we just installed on the blog page!)