4 examples of contagious customised virals

When it comes to viral marketing, it may be glaringly obvious, yet it's often overlooked that you need to give people a good reason to pass it on. One of the most successful ways to do this is through customisation: then people have a vested interest in the content and are more likely to spread it.

Here are 4 examples of contagious customised virals:


Simpsonize Me



Burger King's (still live) Simpsonize Me, which coincided with the 2007 release of The Simpsons movie, is pretty simple and good fun. It takes no more digital sophistication than the ability to upload a photo of yourself, so it quickly became popular with all ages.


Elf Yourself


Elfsonificated Markus on Flickr

US-based office supplies company OfficeMax's recent Elf Yourself initiative spawned flickr groups, caught the imagination of broadcasters, including the Today Show and generally caused a stir, attracting over 110 million visitors, according to OfficeMax statistics. So simple, so dumb, so successful...The moral of the story: people are easily pleased. You don't need sophisticated widgets and gizmos, just something quirky and customisable that gives them a chuckle.

The downside was the lack of leverage for the OfficeMax brand. Dancing elves are all very well, but unless they shift some product they might as well whistle Dixie.


Dexter



Dexter was more sophisticated, but not over-complex. To launch the TV series Dexter, Icetruck TV came up with a wickedly ingenious viral that let users give their mates a scare, by sending them video footage indicating that they were next on a serial killer's hit list. The video is a lifelike news report, which includes 'police' footage and commentary on patterns observed in the killer's activity; it's made all the more real for including your friend's name, job and a customised message at the crime scene.


Pepsi Max





Pepsi recently launched this 'tattoo' video viral that lets you play a joke on guys who fancy themselves as lady killers. It includes a good level of customisation, as you can see above, without being too time-consuming. Drop down boxes enable users to quickly make a selection.