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Best and Worst of Viral Movie Advertising

by Terrence O'Brien on August 2, 2009 at 05:10 PM

Viral marketing campaigns are are an accepted part of advertising these days. Even the makers of soft drinks and jeans feel it necessary to flood the YouTube with thinly veiled ads. But arguably the first, and best, exploiter of viral gimmicks has been Hollywood.

Total Film, a cinema blog, has compiled a list of the best and worst viral campaigns for movies. The list tracks the evolution of the viral campaign beginning with the first major (and arguably effective) example: 'The Blair Witch Project.' The low-budget horror movie used the Internet in a way no other film had before, posting "found footage" and police records regarding the disappearance of the film makers.

Of course, not every attempt at subversive marketing was nearly as successful. Take, for instance, 'Wanted,' which tried to stir up a buzz with a popular video featuring grainy surveillance footage of an office dweller flipping his lid and destroying his cubicle. Unfortunately, the creators forgot to give even a tiny inkling that the video was an ad for the film.

We don't want to ruin all the surprises for you, so follow the read link below to get the rest of the list.

We do have one bone to pick, however, since the list goes right up to current films, like '2012' and 'District 9.' Where is 'Funny People'? This film has spawned stand-up tours from fake comedians, and commercials for fictitious sitcoms. It may be less subtle than some of the other entries, but it's far more impressive than John Favreau's Tweets about 'Iron Man 2.' [From: Total Film]

Tags: advertising, film, movies, top, viral, viral marketing, viral video, ViralMarketing, ViralVideo

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