Three Minds On Digital Marketing @ Organic

Lately we have been seeing a resurgence of ads that make the viewer the star.  It seems to fit in a prediction by futurist Faith Popcorn that 2007 will be the year of the "networked self" -  the year of personalized media.

The earliest viral video of this kind that I can remember was the Bud Light Making Faces Promotion,  using Veepers technology.  You upload a photo, indicate your mouth lines, and then send a cheeky message to one of your friends with you head talking at them like a puppet. Later this same technology was used in a viral promotion for the movie Wedding Crashers (since taken down), this time substituting the user's face for Owen Wilson or Vince Vaughn.

Another very basic current execution with viral legs is Office Max's Elf Yourself, discussed earlier is this blog as one of a dozen quick promotions for the holiday season.

Personiva has improved on the technology.  For example, you can upload a group photo, and the software will recognize multiple faces and allow you to choose amongst them.  Their most recent execution is a promotion for Levi's Straight Jeans that ties into the "Straight Walk" spot from BBH. Upload your own photo and star in the commercial yourself.  Share or blog your creation and even choose your own ending (e.g. be a disco dancer).  Very entertaining (thanks to Samidha Ghosh for the tip).

Have you seen other great executions where the viewer is the star?

Misha Cornes