Viral Marketing and Ford

You know, I love the concept of viral marketing (aside: I love that google definition function too!). Basically, it's using people to perpetuate your marketing in a non-direct method (forwarding email, links, etc.). A cool concept... but basically a new way of using "word of mouth" (see... used it again!). So anyway... I had never thought of an ad agency forwarding around a link to something (e.g., a video hosted in a non-descript place) to market a product. Anyway, Ford uses that concept... and in some ways it either came back to bite them, or it provides an effective method of shedding blame for advertising that is offensive to some. This Ford Sportka ad (mirror) is the subject of this kind of action, as explained in this article. Pretty neat in my mind.

And I like the ad... quite funny really. The "concept Ford did choose" is also funny too.