- Let’s look at a few famous (and a few lesser-known) viral content examples and what we can learn from them: The “Ice Bucket Challenge” (2014): What started as a grassroots challenge to raise awareness for ALS became a global social media phenomenon. People poured buckets of ice water over their heads and challenged friends to do the same, all to promote donations to charity. Lesson: The challenge combined a good cause (inspiration/feel-good), a bit of fun and daring (emotional excitement and novelty), and an easy way for everyone to participate. It spread because it was simple, shareable, and tapped into people’s social networks through tagging others. Dollar Shave Club’s Launch Video: Dollar Shave Club exploded onto the scene with a single YouTube video titled “Our Blades Are F ing Great.” The video was hilariously irreverent, targeting a pain point (expensive razors) with a fresh tone, and it went viral in 2012, putting the startup on the map. *Lesson: A strong brand voice and humor can set you apart. They took a mundane product (razors) and made a video so entertaining people shared it like crazy. It also communicated their value proposition clearly amid the laughs. Chewbacca Mom (2016): A Facebook Live video of a woman putting on a Chewbacca mask and laughing hysterically became the most-viewed Facebook Live of that year . It wasn’t produced by a brand at all, just an individual sharing pure joy, and it garnered hundreds of millions of views. Lesson: Authenticity and raw joy can be incredibly infectious. Brands learned that you don’t always need high polish – sometimes a simple, genuine moment resonates more than a slick campaign. Local Bakery’s TikTok Success (2021): A small bakery started making behind-the-scenes TikTok videos of them decorating cakes with upbeat music. One video of a particularly intricate cake design went viral, getting millions of views, and led to a huge increase in orders (even from out of state). Lesson: You don’t have to be a big company to go viral. Showcasing your craft with creativity on the right platform can find you a massive audience. Visual platforms like TikTok can propel even “ordinary” businesses to fame if the content is delightful and shareable. These examples show that viral content can take many forms – challenge campaigns, funny commercials, heartfelt personal moments, or satisfying craft videos. But they all connected with audiences on an emotional level and encouraged sharing, which is at the heart of virality.
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