Tag: viral advertising

Evian: Roller-skating Babies

A viral ad that hit Guinness-level scale

Evian’s “Roller-skating Babies” viral ad, created by Euro RSCG, has been recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as the most viewed online ad to date.

Adding up views for various versions of the ad across video sharing websites, the ad has got 45,166,109 views as of 9 November 2009.

How “viral” is engineered when the idea is instantly repeatable

The mechanism is concept compression. “Roller-skating babies” is a one-line idea that travels intact. You do not need explanation, context, or a brand preamble to understand why you should click.

Across global FMCG brands, the difference between “viral” and bought reach is whether people willingly forward the idea as social currency.

Why it lands: novelty, craft, and the urge to pass it on

It works because it is strange enough to be worth sharing and polished enough to reward rewatching. The viewer gets an immediate payoff, then uses the link as a way to say, “you have to see this”.

The business intent: fame that feels earned, not placed

This is not a conversion mechanic. It is a reach and memorability play. The goal is to make the brand part of a piece of entertainment people choose to spread, so the exposure feels voluntary rather than interrupted.

What to steal if you want scale without buying it all

  • Build a one-sentence idea. If the concept cannot be repeated accurately in one line, it loses speed.
  • Design for sharing friction. The viewer should know what it is and why it is fun within seconds.
  • Make it rewatchable. Repeat viewing is a multiplier for social forwarding.
  • Measure across versions. If the asset spreads in multiple uploads, track the total footprint, not just one link.

A few fast answers before you act

What is Evian’s “Roller-skating Babies” in one sentence?

A highly shareable online film built on a single, instantly repeatable concept: babies roller-skating, executed with polished craft for rewatch value.

What is the core mechanism behind its scale?

Concept compression. The idea travels intact in a few words, so people can forward it as social currency without needing explanation.

Why does it land so reliably with viewers?

It combines novelty with high production value. The viewer gets an immediate payoff, then uses the link as a quick “you have to see this” recommendation.

What should marketers learn about measuring “viral”?

Track across versions and re-uploads. When a film spreads in multiple places, total footprint matters more than one canonical link.

What is the most transferable takeaway?

Build a one-line idea that is easy to retell, then execute it well enough that people want to rewatch and pass it on.

Heineken: Walk-in Fridge

Heineken’s “Walk-in Fridge” starts with a familiar house-tour setup. A woman shows her new place to a group of female friends while her partner gives his own tour to a group of male friends. The women reach the bedroom and open doors to reveal a spectacular walk-in closet, and they erupt.

Then everyone hears an even louder scream from down the hall. The men have just been shown the ultimate kitchen appliance. A huge walk-in refrigerator completely stocked with Heineken.

In global FMCG marketing, the most durable humor is the kind that delivers a one-frame payoff you can understand with the sound off.

Why the twist works so well

The craft is all in the parallel structure. Two tours. Two reveals. Two reactions. The spot lets you predict the rhythm, then it flips the meaning. The women are thrilled by luxury storage. The men are ecstatic about cold beer on tap, at home, forever.

It is also engineered for social retelling. You can describe it in one sentence, and the punchline lands before you even press play.

What the ad is really saying about the brand

The fridge is not a product feature. It is a fantasy object. Heineken becomes the thing worth screaming for. That is premium positioning done through comedy, not copy lines.

It also uses the home as a stage for status. The walk-in closet signals taste. The walk-in fridge signals desire. Heineken wants to sit in that second category.

Distribution behavior built into the idea

This film is designed to travel online because the reaction is the asset. You do not need a celebrity. You do not need context. You just need the reveal and the scream.

That matters because the spot can earn attention in the exact environments where people skip ads, by being the kind of clip people choose to send each other.

What to steal

  • Write for a single reveal. If the payoff is clean, the audience does the distribution.
  • Use symmetry. Parallel structure makes the twist feel inevitable, then surprising.
  • Make the reaction the headline. When the reaction is the story, you get replay value.
  • Build “one-sentence retellability”. If someone can pitch it instantly, it will spread.

A few fast answers before you act

What is the core idea of Heineken’s Walk-in Fridge?

It is a parallel-reveal comedy spot. Women celebrate a walk-in closet, then men celebrate a walk-in fridge stocked with Heineken, with the men’s reaction intentionally bigger.

Why does the parallel structure matter?

Because it creates rhythm and expectation. When the second reveal hits, the audience instantly understands the joke and the contrast without explanation.

What makes this feel “premium” rather than “cheap humor”?

The fantasy object is aspirational. The walk-in fridge is framed like a luxury upgrade, not a slapstick prop, so the brand inherits desirability from the setting.

What is the biggest risk in using gender-role jokes?

They can age badly. The safest way to use them is to keep the tone playful and the insight broad, and avoid implying that one group is smarter or better than the other.

What should you measure for a film built to travel online?

Accurate retellability, completion rate, and voluntary shares. If people can repeat the premise correctly and still want to send it, the mechanic is working.