The New York Times takes a closer look at P&G’s increasing embrance of viral videos that venture into subjects that the marketer wouldn’t have previously embraced, like one that discusses menstrual cramps:
The campaign started with small classified ads in newspapers around the country, which all carried the same eye-catching headline, “Men: Are You Suffering From Menstrual Cramps?” The ads directed readers to a Web site (menwithcramps.com), created by Kirt Gunn & Associates in New York, an agency that specializes in interactive campaigns.
The ads generated some discussion on blogs, Web sites like rollingstone.com and even a segment of “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.” Next came the fake documentary, also created by Gunn, which presented a mock tale of how male cramps affected the course of history. Gunn also put up a second Web site, under the name of the faux institution supposedly studying the syndrome, the MacInnes & Porritt Institute (macinnesandporritt.com), which sought volunteers for its research.
Maybe it’s just me & my media habits, but it seems the only time I ever hear about these viral sites is when I read articles about virals–on marketing blogs and in newspaper articles like this. Am I alone in that?
