Viral Marketing: Weezer Gets it Right
In one of the most brilliant marketing moves of all time from a social media perspective, alternative rock band Weezer created an awesome video for their new single, “Pork and Beans,” using internet superstars from a handful of successful YouTube videos. Here’s a look at their amazing creation:
These are all the original YouTube stars. All Weezer did was bring them together to create a revolutionary video that should change the way you think about your marketing approach. Included in this video is Tay Zonday of Chocolate Rain fame, the Blendtec’s famous “Will it Blend” blender (can you spot it?), Miss Teen South Carolina, the kid behind the famous Romanian Numa Numa video, All Your Base are Belong to Us, Peanut Butter Jelly Time, the “stupid” ninja guy, and a guy who made it into the Guinness Book of World Records for wearing the most t-shirts at any time, among many other internet celebrities. (If you didn’t know about any of these memes, you need to venture out farther and scope out your territory.)
It’s simple, really. Take something that’s already popular — in this case, a bunch of internet memes that caught on virally by themselves — and combine the most memorable parts to reach your target audience. The video has been posted to YouTube numerous times since May 23rd and has already seen over 4 million views. Plus, the song has been in my head for the last 3 days. 
Weezer shows that they understand the community of addicted internet users. This video is already spreading like wildfire.
All you need is a bit of creativity and the willpower to make it happen.
The takeaways are simple: look at who you’re targeting, review what they find interesting, and be inventive.
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About
Tamar Weinberg is a social media enthusiast with a passion for all things tech and productivity. She provides consulting in internet marketing and is Mashable's Global Advertising Director. Tamar is also the author of The New Community Rules: Marketing on the Social Web.
Loved the video. But most important was they still had the Big W at the end, regardless if it was a stream of soda.
Man, that was fun. The kitchen sink of YouTube memes.
Dude! We talked about (marketing) doing it right on Social Blend in our early episodes and this video is exactly what you and I were talking about! Excellent post!
Love Weezer, and this paticular vid tickled me because of the use of the real internet stars.
To bad that this is not an original idea.
So I asked Mihai what he meant, and he said that he’s seen a collection of memes on the Internet before.
That’s all well and good, but the difference here is tremendous. Weezer actually brought in the actors from all popular memes and put them in one room to record that video. They didn’t just mash up a bunch of internet meme videos. They made it their own and personalized it with their own song. That’s a lot more original than taking the best videos and remixing it as your own, wouldn’t you say?
Bummer, the video has been taken down. Anyone have a link to it anywhere else?
You sure, Ben? I just got to it without a problem.
What’s funny is that Barenaked Ladies did the exact same thing over a year ago with their song, “Sound of Your Voice”.
Seems like Techipedia got viral marketing right. Before I even realized it, I sent this to my girlfriend, sister and a bunch of other friends. (Then again, Weezer is one of my all time-favorites.) Awesome post.
Kelly, do you have a link?
This is a great idea and we’re certainly not surprised that Weezer was the one to implement it!
Wasn’t sure if I should put it in there.
Sorry about that!
Here’s the link to BNL’s video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoFMRXlNJ6Y
It was the first thing I thought about when I read about Weezer’s video. The difference is that BNL had people do it like they naturally do their videos. And Weezer had the people in their video.
If that makes any sense. Same formula, different execution. Kinda.
I’m glad afro ninja is getting some work.
kind of cool, made me laugh a couple times, but south park already basically did this.
Hello Tamar,
You’ve got a great enthusiasm for your topic, which is why I decided to review your blog on DoYouDiggIt.com. Please stop in and take a look!
http://www.doyoudiggit.com/technology/tips-for-all-things-tech-at-techipedia
You’ll find a Digg button at the bottom (which I’m sure a tech geek like you will have no trouble using:) ). Feel free to give yoruself a Digg!
Tamar,
To the extent that Weezer and Universal don’t have embedd codes on the music video, no link to another video, and delete the content when other folks post it (ie the link above is now dead)…I think they still have some learning to do.
Great post, however.
Take care,
Nathan
Yeah, that was super dumb. The URL is still there, but embedding was disabled: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muP9eH2p2PI
I think they should realize that they got social media right until they removed embedding.
I don’t agree that this is one of the most brilliant marketing moves of all time from a social media perspective. I think by making a comment like that you’re implying that all music videos are merely devices for marketing music.
To me, this video feels more like a celebration of internet memes, the people behind them, and the impact social media & social media marketing has had on our lives, rather than an explicit attempt to leverage its success and market a band.
I don’t think it’s a brilliant marketing move and I don’t think assumptions about its marketing performance from a social media perspective are necessarily acurate. However, simply saying ‘you’re wrong, I’m right’ isn’t constructive and it’s not what I’m trying to do.
What I do think, is that this video raises important questions — like whether or not we know we’re being marketed to; and how successful a marketing campaign can be if it doesn’t tie in to the product or branding or encourage us to take some form of action.
I guess what I’m trying to say is just because a bird looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck… it isn’t always a duck.
“I don’t think it’s a brilliant marketing move and I don’t think assumptions about its marketing performance from a social media perspective are necessarily acurate.”
You say PO-tay-to, I say PO-TOT-o. It’s a matter of opinion and that’s what this piece was trying to convey. I personally found that it was brilliant from a social media perspective (my own). You’re entitled to disagree. You’re allowed
And perhaps their intentions weren’t marketing at all, but I still personally think it was very-well thought out and worked in the marketing sphere.
Personally, I also feel that the best products market themselves. In other words, this video wasn’t a marketing campaign, but it worked well as one after social media aficionados and marketers viewed this as such.
You looked quite pissed on the no-embed issue today.
Never mind them, the music industry always tries to go a step further into selling less cd’s.
It’s disappointing, Gusma. I don’t understand the rationale and all I want to do is get my 15 minutes of fame doing the same thing those Internet stars did
All in all, though, it kind of sucks. Hopefully since they seemed to have been receptive to YouTube videos in the past, maybe they’ll be receptive to my little video. After all, my blog post does look silly now that it lacks the video I spoke about.
Hahah but to gain real internet momentum you should have taped it with a red clownlike nose. But if you think about it most bands still don’t truly understand the net. (Should you expect it too from their labels, no matter how big?)
Don’t look at me, I have weezer’s pat on twitter.
Wow, they listened. Thanks guys!
It is great video and nice music. It must have big sucess.
Wow, they retracted their decision…again.