The New Science of Viral Ads

HBR Summer 2012

Its the holy grail of digital marketing: the viral ad, a pitch that large
numbers of viewers decide to share with family and friends.
Several techniques derived from new technology can help advertisers attain
this. In our research, two colleagues and I use infrared eye-tracking
scanners to determine exactly what people are looking at when they watch
video ads. We also use a system that analyzes facial expressions to reveal
what viewers are feeling. These technologies make it possible to isolate
elements that cause people to stop watching and to find ones that keep
them engaged. In addition, they make it possible to determine what kinds of
ads are most likely to be shared and what types of people are most likely to
share them. Here are five big problems online advertisers face, along with
solutions that have emerged from our research.

Problem 1:
Prominent Branding Puts Off Viewers
When people watch ads, they focus on a few things, such as the actors
mouths and eyes. They also focus on logos. This isnt the boon it might
seem: The more prominent or intrusive the logo, the more likely viewers are
to stop watchingeven if they know and like the brand. Why? People seem
to have an unconscious aversion to being persuaded, so when they see a
logo, they resist.

The solution: Utilize brand pulsing.

Smart advertisers unobtrusively weave the brand image throughout the ad.
Experiments have shown that this can increase viewership by as much as
20%. One of the best examples of the technique is Coca-Colas animated
Happiness Factory ad. (Like all the other videos referenced in this article,
its available on YouTube.) It depicts a fantasy version of what happens
inside a Coke machine when someone inserts money. A Coke bottle is shown
repeatedly, but each appearance is quick; you can almost imagine that the
story would work without the bottle. In fact, a good question to ask when
conceiving an ad is: If I removed the brand image, would the content still be
intrinsically interesting? If the answer is yes, viewers are more likely to
keep watching.

Problem 2:
People Get Bored Right Away

After recording viewers expressions with video cameras, we use automated

technology that measures the distances between various parts of the face to
identify smiles, frowns, and other expressions that correlate closely with
emotions. (Previous research relied on human coders; automating the
process improves accuracy and allows for a much larger sampling.) After

analyzing thousands of reactions to many ads, second by second, and

tracking exactly when people stop watching, we found that keeping viewers
involved depends in large part on two emotions: joy and surprise. To
maximize viewership, its important to generate at least one of these
responses early on. Traditionally, though, advertisers have constructed
narratives that escalate toward a dramatic climax or a surprise ending.
Such commercials may have worked on TV decades ago, but todays online
viewers need to be hooked in the opening seconds.

The solution: Create joy or surprise right away.

Two videos stand out for eliciting these emotions at the start. In one, the
familiar Apple spokesman is joined by Mr. Bean, who dances crazily for the
remainder of the spot. (The video, it turns out, is not an official Apple ad but
a well-crafted parody of Apples Get a Mac series.) Bud Lights Swear
Jar ad opens with a surprise: When an office sets up a jar that workers
must pay into as a penalty for profanity, one employee immediately curses
because he knows the money will be used to buy Bud Light. Both videos
hook people instantly.

Problem 3:
People Watch for a While but Then Stop
Although the Mr. Bean video initially succeeds in attracting viewers, it
doesnt keep them watching. Thats because the joy the video creates is
delivered at a fairly constant level. Weve found that ads that produce stable
emotional states generally arent effective at engaging viewers for very
long.
Videos that deliver constant levels of joy or surprise dont engage viewers for
very long. Advertisers need to build an emotional roller coaster.

The solution: Build an emotional roller coaster.

Viewers are most likely to continue watching a video ad if they experience
emotional ups and downs. This fits with psychological-research findings
about human adaptability. When we come into a warm home on a cold
winter day, or when we receive a pay raise, we experience pleasure, but the
feeling is transitory; the novelty soon wears off. So advertisers need to
briefly terminate viewers feelings of joy or surprise and then quickly
restore them, creating an emotional roller coastermuch the way a movie
generates suspense by alternating tension and relief.
The Swear Jar video makes skillful use of the roller-coaster technique. The
opening scene, which sets up the ads conceit, lasts just 15 seconds. The
remainder of the 60-second spot consists of seven scenes with bleeped-out
profanities, each conveying its own surprise and humor. By delivering a
fresh dose of these elements every six seconds or so, the ad holds on to its
viewers.

Problem 4:
People Like an Ad but Wont Share It

Getting time-crunched viewers to watch a 60-second ad is no small feat, but

it wont necessarily make the ad go viral. Experiments I conducted on my
own demonstrate that even though people may enjoy an ad themselves, they
wont always send it to others. In particular, I found that although shock
may get people to watch an ad privately, it often works against their desire
to share the spot.
Bud Lights Clothing Drive ad uses the same cast, setting, and general
structure as Swear Jar. Here, an office worker tries to create enthusiasm
for a charity drive by offering a Bud Light for every article of used clothing
donated. The characters respond by removing clothes theyre wearing, and
the scenes that ensue contain increasing degrees of nudity (private parts
are obscured by black bars). Like Swear Jar, Clothing Drive garnered
high viewership. But unlike Swear Jar, it was not widely shared. The
nudity was too shocking.

The solution: Surprise but dont shock.

Consider Evians Roller Babies ad, which features computer-generated

infants roller dancing to a hip-hop song. It uses all three strategies
suggested above. The brand is relatively unobtrusive but appears frequently
throughout the 60-second spot. Within seven seconds of the opening,
viewers see an infant on roller skates moving his head rhythmically, like a
rappera scene thats sufficiently surprising to hook them. The rest of the
spot consists of 11 different scenes of infants executing delightful dance
moves. Unlike the Mr. Bean video, in which the dancing is continuous, this
ad cuts from scene to scene, modulating the viewers joy and offering
repeated surprises. Roller Babies has been viewed more than 50 million
times on YouTube. In the world of viral ads, thats a home run.

Problem 5:
People Still Wont Share the Ad
Even when an ad has been perfectly tailored to go viral, only a subset of
those who watch it will share it. In fact, my research shows that whether or
not an ad is shared depends as much on the personality types of viewers as
on the ad itself.

The solution: Target the viewers who will.

Ive identified two attributes of people who frequently share ads:
Extroversion and egocentricity. The first is hardly surprising, but the second
is, at least on the face of it. Why would egocentric people be inclined to
sharean act thats usually associated with helping others? I believe that in
many cases its because they are looking to increase their social status.
Their primary aim in posting or e-mailing an ad link isnt to make others
joyful; its to display their own taste, media savvy, and connectedness.
Its hard to target viewers on the basis of personality type, but thats apt to
change as social media evolve. For instance, companies are already placing

ads on the pages of Facebook users who frequently post links and are
reaching out to Twitterers who have large followings. The ability to find
these archetypal sharers will become just as important as the ability to
reach certain demographic groups has traditionally been.