Procter and Gamble’s Zack Johnson viral marketing campaign is genius! Okay, so it’s a little creepy and a bit odd, but what an innovative way to get youths talking, blogging and engaging in the conversation of this non-traditional short film. Is it ethical? Absolutely. In fact, I actually think that Proctor and Gamble’s subdued attempt to outwardly promote its Tampax line of products was smart since a well branded logo often takes away from the message of several marketing campaigns. How many times have you seen the McDonald’s golden arches and automatically dismissed it’s core messaging by thinking, “Oh it’s just an Ad”? This short film is not an advertisement. It symbolizes the confusing state of the teenage mind and brings to light several feelings teenage girls may be having as they enter into womanhood. The fact that the character being portrayed here is a boy instead of a girl is just another way to engage the audience, as well as make the issue light-hearted and fictionally imaginative. Here’s the video. Let me know what you think!
According to the Six Simple Principles of Viral Marketing, viral marketing is “any strategy that encourages individuals to pass on a marketing message to others, creating exponential growth in the message’s exposure and influence.” The Zack Johnson short film series does exactly that, and the marketers at Procter and Gamble have been able to follow through on this campaign by elevating the discussion surrounding the short film to other emerging media outlets such as blogs and Twitter.
The effects of an emerging media strategy such as the Zack Johnson video presents us marketers with some new possibilities for engagement and conversation. Surely, this one will gain traction with the younger crowds, which is probably an effective way for Tampax to garner consumer brand loyalty at a younger age. Our teenage youths are no stranger to YouTube, social media and emerging technology. Gone are the days when companies can solely rely on TV commercials and traditional media outlets to garner brand loyalty and generate buzz.
Author of the Long Tail, Chris Anderson, notes that “This is the world of scarcity. Now, with online distribution and retail, we are entering a world of abundance. And the differences are profound.” For more on Chris Anderson’s “Long Tail” concept of emerging technology, view this highly informative video:
The Zack Johnson short film series is just the continuation of a changing era where marketers are using emerging media technology to generate the buzz necessary to pull-in competitive promotional content over the web.
In what ways have you or your company amplified viral marketing efforts through emerging media technology outlets?
