First of all, there is nothing more entertaining then YouTube (for me that is) and it is the birthplace of most viral videos.

Special thanks to Search Engine Journal for putting this clever collection of viral videos together

Instead of spending all my time writing thousands of words worth of explaining each of these videos I thought I would spend more time finding some of the best/interesting/funniest viral videos out there to this date. Some are from ad agencies, some from users optimised by companies. Enjoy!

1. Brick Thief

An interesting one to start off the post this one and it is there to show the people of the world just what can be done with a few Lego bricks. Have a watch and see for yourself, if only I could make half the things this guy could make!

2. Banned Xbox 360 Ad

This will always be a favourite of mine this is simply because it was around the time the Xbox 360 was first released. I was doing some heavy research at the time to see if the system was worth getting and it is when I came across this video. Although it was banned (for obvious reasons?) it is hilarious and really shows how brilliant Microsoft advertising can be. This is a really big shout out to gamers including the lag aspect right at the end. I wouldn’t say this convinced me to buy the console as I loved the original Xbox but let’s just say this didn’t  harm the decision process.

3. Coke + Mentos

Although this campaign was not originally designed for either Coke or Mentos it is something that both took on with open arms when they saw how well it was doing, generating a big increase in sales for both Coca Cola and Mentos and resulting in many a botched test at home I am sure, this video takes the theory to the extreme!

4. John West Salmon

Using the power of Jim Henson’s creature creative skills and a very clever advertising agency this piece was thrown together. I remember watching this one on television for the first time and heading out to buy this salmon the next day. Sure I buy salmon anyway but I wouldn’t have brought this brand if it wasn’t for the awesome advert.

5. Will It Blend?

Collectively these videos have become one of the most successful marketing campaigns on the net. I certainly expect these blenders to be the biggest selling blender in the world now. Of course although the videos are very dangerous and they do say you shouldn’t try it at home I am sure it has resulted in a few people trying it in their homes! The clever thing about this is that in the background they have safe blended videos like the Avocado and other fruits and vegetables.

6. Wedding Entrance

This video was put together by the creative minds of a family, nothing more, and nothing less. Instead of taking the song off YouTube (something owners can do) Sony decided to use the popularity of the video to sell more Chris Brown records, it worked. Take a look at the number of views on this video. Even if a small proportion of the people that have seen this brought just the single you are looking at millions that wouldn’t have been made otherwise.

7. 7 Billion

Ending on something to think about I think with this National Geographic video. (Coincidently the 7^th video on the list) The figure that really stands out above everything else is the fact that all of us put together could fit inside LA. It really does put things into perspective.

These are by no means the defined list of successful viral campaigns out there but they are ones that have either made me laugh or read further into what it was talking about. If you have anything to add to the post then let me know in the comments!