Viral Campaign: Dumb ways to die

A viral campaign is an ad campaign that is set up either to create an artificial reality but also takes can also take place in reality. It spreads key messages from the item it is advertising . They use multiple media sources. The recent campaign Dumb ways to die has used viral advertising to raise awareness of safety it was started by Metro Trains in Melbourne. The First ad produced was a viral youtube clip that described the many stupid ways you could die using cartoon characters.
The advert : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJNR2EpS0jw

This campaign has a small following with the first youtube video having 78,432,249 views. This video was shared many times on social media. The video was published on November 2012 and is still standing strong today with multiple spin offs such as games and even plush versions of their characters. The ad was created by McCann Melbourne and went on to appear in newspapers, local radio, outdoor advertising, on the metro trains network and on tumblr.

This first ad was created using a catchy tune and characters that overall helped the appeal. The video does not use links to any other webpages but does have other social media sites as they expand. The original video also has multiple parodies and alternative versions. From the success of this website they have create an interactive game for portable devices this game has had instant success with big stars such as Kate Moss and David Beckham who have stated in public interviews that they are addicted to the game. The game also contains a version of the video and allows people to take a pledge to stay safe of the railway the very thing the campaign is trying to stop. This app is very affective and has spread the campaign world wide.

From the creation of the original videos they have created further videos for special events such as valentines day and fathers day these videos also  have attached hashtags that can be used of Twitter to find various appeals. From this one original video has spread world wide and most people could hum the tune of the song. They have also created an interactive website ( http://dumbwaystodie.com) where clips from the game and music video are used so that you can play them within the website.It also tells the story of the campaign and the Metro which is the company its promoting. I will take this example and consider what i could do for my own viral campaign.