What maketh 'virality'?

Mate Matt Ward asks if this cute Paul Daniels vid (for Tesco) will go viral.

I think not.

It's simple. You can't obviously embed it. Yes you actually can but it's an adjunct rather than a 'key selling point'. Something hidden in the final screen and the 'share this' link (which thanks to the likes of the BBC doesn't obviously mean 'embed this').

This doesn't help virality.

Nothing which can't be obviously embedded and, frankly, anything which isn't on YouTube will EVER go viral. I couldn't quickly find this vid on YouTube. What's its name?

When Paris Hilton did her number on McCain even that didn't go really viral simply because it was excised by funny or die fromYouTube.

Bad move. YouTube is pretty much all when it comes to virality.

And Brit vids need some sort of internationality locused via YouTube to go really, really viral. Sorry, this Daniel's ad is far too localised and pretty obviously an ad.

[n.b here's the actual vid BTW, in case you're mistaking it for another screencapture - natch)



Obvious ads rarely go viral + we Brits like Paul Daniels as we like Ant'n'Dec - doesn't mean anyone else will 'get' it. (This is the most viewed Paul Daniels vid, which is a bit more classy and about him being a magician).

The only Brit virals to go big around the world that spring to mind recently are the great Facebook in real life vid and the BBC's Beijing monkey - the latter being a really strong example of virality despite everything, as the Beeb doesn't police those that repost its work on YouTube.

Unruly Media, the company who produced this one for Tesco, have done some great work - they pushed the flying penguins for the Beeb from a few months ago. 3m+ views and counting.

Viral vid is somewhat under-rated as a UK new industry, check out this chart for showing how strong we are.

Matt's pick isn't the best example but building on all the cultural strengths we have (like our comic depth) we Brits have an economic, global winner here.