Viral Marketing to Become the Norm?

An anonymous reader writes "One of the oldest advertising companies in the U.S., JWT, has just bought up all the Huffington Post's front-page ad space for a whole week. They are taking the unique approach of trying to create ad content interesting enough to make people want to watch, instead of the traditional ad agency approach of bludgeoning the user base over the head through interstitials and other forced ad techniques. Will the ad companies be able to put forth enough continued effort to make good ads that become viral, or is this just a short phase to gain publicity?"

First cliche

[Anonymous Coward]

"Viral marketing to become the Norm?" ....tell all your friends. Repeat ad nauseam in manner of 80s student in pub reciting Python (or Hitchhiker,..) scenes until assaulted by heavy glass ashtray.

I was that ashtray, dear readers.

Re:Sorry, but...

[Orange Crush]

They're using Viral Marketing and leveraging Web 2.0 paradigms to synergistically create scalable advertising solu--. . . oh bother . . . they're not even using AJAX.

"interstitials and other forced ad techniques"

[Anonymous Coward]

They are taking the unique approach of trying to create ad content interesting enough to make people want to watch [nytimes.com], instead of the traditional ad agency approach of bludgeoning the user base over the head through interstitials and other forced ad techniques.

...and naturally, once I click on the link, I get a forced interstitial ad from the Times.

(Not that I had an ad-blocker on or anything. They're not very annoying to me yet.)

Re:Hmmm

[rajafarian]

I don't believe a change of this magnitude throughout the marketing industry is possible.

Enough scantily clad women and I'm there!

Re:Hmmm

[Skidge]

You're not saying some time in the future I won't be forced to watch commercials because some gizmo or another preventing me from switching channels? I'll watch commercials of my own free will?

No, the idea is that you'll succumb to peer pressure and watch commercials because all of the cool kids are doing it.

Publicity Stunt?

[bazily]

"...or is this just a short phase to gain publicity?"

It worked.

Re:What a concept!

[shadwstalkr]

Instead of MAKING the customer do something, you make it attractive enough for them to WANT to do something.

It'll never work! Madness, I say!

I keep telling everyone...

[Gordonjcp]

... that viral marketing just doesn't work.

Re:I keep telling everyone...

[tpemble]

Obviously, your word isn't getting around.

Re:What a concept!

[0racle]

I assume you never use shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, or soap then?

Re:What a concept!

[Karma Farmer]

I assume you never use shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, or soap then?

I'm sorry, I'm sometimes so caught up in the the comforts of 21st century first world living that I forget how difficulty it is for some people to obtain the bare necessities of life.

I think we all remember the great alum shortages of the mid 90's, and the deaths of millions as they ran out of precious, life sustaining deodorant.

Re:Superbowl

[MurphyZero]

It's proven that it works too. Clydesdale sales are always highest in February. Same with monkeys and boobs. That's pretty much the big 3 for Super Bowl commercials.

Viral marketing - blah

[billcopc]

I hate the term "viral marketing" as it is used to represent interesting content as opposed to "forced-down-your-throat" ad propaganda. Many years ago Bell Canada got into this "viral marketing" stuff by hiring a comedian to do their TV ads in Quebec. Now I hate telecoms even more than I hate buzzwords, but the ads were hilarious and everyone either loved or hated them, but all knew of them. Many people even recorded or downloaded them.. some used them as an answering message or ring tone.. you'll be hard pressed to find a Quebecer that won't chuckle or even sing along if you say "Bonjour Toto". The ad campaign was an explosive success.

Cue to the crappier ads I've seen locally, one for a huge used car dealership "Mega Automobile". They hired some coked-out ditz to overpronunciate catch phrases from a cue card while frenetically bouncing her empty head on each syllable. Just as cheesy as the stereotypical used car salesmen that work there. At least they could have hired a coked-out bikini ditz instead.. hell just stick a picture of Kermit the Frog on the screen for 30 seconds, it would probably work better than the cookie-cutter no-budget bullshit they pulled.

p2p

[zypres]

If I download a film, and tell my friends to do the same, would that be Viral marketing?