Bride freaks out over hair updo! (video)

Video: Bride gets a bad updo > freaks out > cuts off hair (right before the wedding). What the...?

In 2007, SunSilk released this viral ad. Yes, it's just an ad. You can now watch it and enjoy it without feeling bad. This viral ad was just recently reposted to YouTube again. Two weeks after it's original release in 2007, it had over 2.8 million views!!! People were responding with sympathy and advice or they were suspicious that it was fake. Two weeks later the actors revealed on Good Morning America that the video was set-up and created by Unilever's ad agency for SunSilk.

You gotta love viral advertising! From an advertising standpoint, reaching that many viewers is every brand's dream! In the first 2 weeks alone, the video had 2.8 million impressions. And that doesn't account for the views from copies adding up to more than 12 million views!!! That is a lot of people interacting with your brand.

How do you get a video to go viral? How do you deploy it? First, make sure it really is interesting to people, and not just what you want them to be interested in (ie, your brand/product). Ask yourself why someone would want to forward it? Which videos do you take time to share?

Most shared videos are shocking or funny in some way. And keep it short: people » short attention spans » entertain in first 20-30 secs. Get it? Now, start talking about it or, even better, get your friends to help spread the word. Post on: del.icio.us, digg.com, stumbleupon.com, reddit.com, and don't forget twitter and facebook! Making your video "go viral" can take a lot of effort pushing it out or it can take no effort at all, that is if you are lucky and have created a truly viral video.

Now... to plan the Project: Ruffle Swap viral video! Stay tuned...  {cue evil laugh}