Honey Nut Cheerios goes viral.

There are several versions of the Honey Nut Cheerios cereal “dancing families” campaign, but this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hox91325i60  is my favorite. From the moment I saw it come across my TV screen I knew there was something very familiar about it. I could not put my finger on it until I watched it a few times. 

The commercial is entirely made up of YouTube “sensations” and/or people who’s video’s have gone “viral”.  Using successful videos that have already been proven to be "liked" is an innovative way to make a commercial!

For those who recognize the faces as they come across the screen it’s a “hey I’ve seen their video” moment. Some viewers may relate to the “realness” of the people in it, which then gives the commercial a feeling of authenticity. The brilliant part is that even if you don’t recognize the videos from being viral, it’s a feel good commercial that still works for a few of these reasons:

1. Dad’s are showcased handling the hustle and bustle of the morning breakfast drill as a fun interaction with their kids.

2. Dad’s dancing silly (because they are typically not known for dancing freely or at least not very often in commercials).

3. The kids are down right stinking cute and who doesn’t love to see little ones dancing and mimicking dance moves.

4. Simple product placement of the cereal box. It isn’t intrusive and you’re almost compelled to watch the whole commercial to see what it is they are selling.

            There are no speaking parts in the commercial, not even a voice over.  The actors who aren’t really actors, don’t even have to act-they just have to be themselves (like in their videos). In the last 4 weeks I’ve seen several commercials using the same concept. Which leads me to believe this is a pretty innovative way to almost guarantee viewers are going to like the commercials.