If you clicked on any of the “Jen Aniston sex tape” links hoping to see Aniston having sex, then you did exactly what they wanted you to do.
“They” being Smart Water, who hired Jennifer Aniston to make a commercial for the company’s bottled water. The video is not a sex tape at all, unless you’re Ozzie and Harriet and can be aroused by hair and lipstick. No, this video was a spoof on viral videos — and an attempt to create a viral video.
I spent last week looking up what makes a viral video, hoping to pin down what made these things work. The guys behind this ad seem to know how to make a viral video. What resulted was a video that included references to general trends and specific viral videos. Some of the references might have been too specific for casual web users, though meme-savvy people will get it.
So, I give you the breakdown of this viral video from the perspective of a guy who trolls the Internetz, but who has never made a viral video. My only research — besides looking up “how videos go viral” and “how to make a viral video” — has been tracking lots of videos and memes.
If I’ve learned anything, it’s this: The Internet is a scary place. So, let’s go.
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1. REFERENCES TO OTHER VIRAL VIDEOS
Of course this video references past viral videos; that’s what makes it a parody. The whole video references trends, but I could count three specific videos referenced:
- “Numa Numa”
- “Ally McBeal” Dancing baby (which predates YouTube)
- “Double rainbow”
The “Numa Numa” video has been referenced before in a Geico commercial in which the zealous lip-syncing guy with glasses was shown with the Geico gecko. Funny or Die parodied the “David After Dentist” video with “Bieber After the Dentist.” That “David After Dentist” video was mashed up with the Christian Bale tirade video, and it was hilarious.
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2. CELEBRITIES
Would this Smart Water ad have been as funny without a celebrity? I don’t think so. The “David After Dentist” video inspired several parodies, but it was the Justin Bieber parody that went viral. The James Vandermemes video earlier this year worked because it featured a celebrity making fun of himself.
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3. KIDS
People love kids on the Internet. They don’t have to be cute or even well-behaved. Precocious kids, it seems, get lots of page views.
- 3-year-old explains Star Wars
- Star Wars ad with little Darth Vader
- 5-year-old wants job before she gets married
- Kid singing Lady Gaga in his kitchen
This kid in the Jennifer Aniston Smart Water video is especially precocious, lip-syncing to Far East Movement and responding with sass to Aniston’s questions. It was scripted, of course, but came off as real, which is another thing that can help videos go viral.
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4. AUTHENTICITY
The little kid might have been one of the only authentic things in this commercial, but at least we knew it was scripted from the beginning. Some of my favorite viral videos have that “Holy shit, is this real?” quality to them. And they feature people who aren’t afraid to do something silly (hence, “Numa Numa.”)
Newscasts with weird characters or mistakes are especially good for authenticity. Antoine Dodson became a meme after he was featured in a newscast about his sister being assaulted. I don’t think they’ve caught the perp, but Antoine Dodson has inspired several parodies (many including Dodson himself). The subsequent Antoine Dodson videos have not been funny, in my opinion, because he’s too aware that he’s trying to get your attention and make you laugh.
Other newscast videos that went viral:
A low-quality video that looks like it was shot on a webcam or camcorder can still go viral if it’s authentic, funny and worth watching through the end. Tay Zonday’s video for “Chocolate Rain” went viral, and many didn’t know why. It was a repetitive song with no chorus and was not sophisticated in its production value. But the guy was earnest and you couldn’t help but like him. The “Numa Numa” guy was very authentic, which is why his original video was better than his Geico ad.
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5. ANIMALS
If I’ve learned anything from I Can Has Cheezburger?, it’s that animals will get views. It doesn’t matter what kind of animal: it could be a cat, dog, bird, ferret or something else.
The only animal that wouldn’t go viral would probably be a dead animal. Fortunate for Jennifer Aniston, the folks at Smart Water went with live animals.
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6. VIOLENCE
Search for “kick to the nuts” on YouTube and you’ll find a bunch of videos. Most notable is this one, if for no other reason than the quote at 1:12: “No cup, no nothin’, bro, just straight up nuts.”
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7. SEX
This video takes advantage of several of Jennifer Aniston’s assets — her humor, her timing, her recognition — but also takes advantage of her good looks. There really is no sex in this video — the Herbal Essences commercials were steamier.
But if you add “sex tape” to anything, you’ll get views. Even if it’s on YouTube and people know they won’t get to see nudity. Even if it’s on my blog and they know it won’t be an actual “sex tape,” they’ll still click on it. You did, and so will others.
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