27.8.09

What's Going Viral? Thrilling Stunts and Hidden-Camera Pranks

What People Watched the Week of Aug. 17

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- As they have for the past several weeks, Evian with its roller-skating babies and Microsoft with its gigantic waterslide continue to battle it out for the No. 1 spot on the Viral Video Chart. Both campaigns have started to lose momentum, but they both racked up enough views in the past week to give them more than double the next-closest video, which happens to also be a Microsoft one (the Project Natal trailer, which has lingered on the chart since its debut at E3 in early June).

A terrifying -- and thrilling -- five-minute video of stunt cyclist Danny MacAskill jumping fences and off of roofs in Edinburgh, Scotland, is the week's fourth-most-watched piece. The video, which actually launched in April and has since racked up almost 10 million views, has received a bit of attention of late, including in Ad Age, helping to boost it onto the chart. It's lightly branded by Inspired Bicycles -- so lightly, in fact, that Visible Measures, which collects and analyzes the data we show here, just recently classified it as "branded" -- a prerequisite for making this chart.

Meanwhile, Office Max reprised its "Penny Pranks" campaign, in which it records, via hidden cameras, the reactions of sellers when its actors try to pay for high-ticket items in pennies. The company launched the campaign last year with comedian Matt McCarthy doing the buying; this year he's joined by a 10-year-old "billionaire sidekick." The push, which also includes TV and radio, is meant to promote the office-supply chain's 1-cent deals on supplies such as rulers, crayons and notebooks.

Last WeekBrandCampaignAgencyCurrent Week Views*% Change in Views**Watch the Spot
12EvianLive YoungBETC Euro RSCG1,401,890-25%Evian: Live Young
21MicrosoftMegawoosh (Make It Possible)MRM Worldwide, Germany1,162,745-49%Microsoft: Megawoosh
35Microsoft XboxProject NatalWorld Famous467,645+6%Microsoft Xbox: Project Natal
4NewInspired BicyclesDanny MacAskill TrialsN/A450,065NewDanny MacAskill Trials
53MSIAcrobuttocksN/A448,331-64%MSI: Acrobuttocks
6Back on ChartFrito-LayWoman's WorldOMD, Juniper Park, Jam Media424,747Back on ChartFrito-Lay: Woman's World
7NewOffice MaxBack to School for PenniesThe Escape Pod381,131NewOffice Depot: Back to School for Pennies
86DCKen Block's Gymkhana Two ProjectMad Media366,189-7%DC Shoes: Ken Block's Gymkhana Two Project
97Nike SBToday Was a Good DayWieden & Kennedy274,227-28%Nike SB: Today Was a Good Day
109CadburyEyebrow DanceFallon190,285-5%Cadbury: Eyebrow Dance

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