Viral Ad Network

Dumt & Farligt – Phantom Flex Highlights – Ever wondered what would happen if you microwaved a bottle of red wine, exploded your waterbed or released a fireworks display in your living room? Well, no need to destroy your house to find out because insane duo Jan Elhøj and Lasse Spang Olsen have done it for you on their new Danish TV program, the title of which literally translates as stupid and dangerous, and you can watch it all here in glorious slow motion!

There’s no real story or science behind the show, from what I can gather the main aim is just to crush, explode and destroy as many household items as possible – simples! I’m not usually a massive fan of stupid Jack Ass style antics but there is something mesmerizingly beautiful about watching the clips at a super slow motion 2500 frames per second that leaves me crying out for more, (and also kind of makes me want to own a slow motion camera – clever bit of viral advertising for the Phantom Flex!)

A dramatic surprise on a quiet square – With nearly 27 million views in less than 2 weeks this video is set to become one of the most shared ads of the year so far. Made by Belgium agency Duval Quillaume Modem to launch the new TV channel TNT, it’s set in a “little town in Belgium” in a “square where nothing really happens,” that is, until someone placed a giant red button and invited people to press it to add drama.

So what happens when you push the button? Well, as promised lots of drama ensues… ambulance sirens blare, semi clad ladies on motorbikes speed past as men brawl in the street and police shoot masked robbers from across the square while baffled passers by watch in shock – all the magic ingredients for an instant viral hit!

OMG, Lickable lifts! – I’m sure I wasn’t the only kid to watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and come away with a head filled full of ideas about living in an edible world. I used to imagine what the flowers on my wallpaper might taste like and fantasize about being able to eat the furniture. Of course I’ve long since put such childish notions behind me, that was until I saw the latest campaign for McVities Jaffa Cakes… edible wallpaper!!

The installation was part of an innovation competition hosted by London based communications firm Engine, who invited agencies to take over a lift for 2 weeks and customise it in their own unique way. It was the PR agency Mischief who came up with the idea of tasty wallpaper, commissioning a team of food technicians and artists to create the Jaffa Cake flavoured slickers.

I’m not sure I would personally be too keen to lick the walls of a lift that had had the tongues of half the office on it already but apparently they had a special lift assistant whose job it was to supervise the licking activity and replace used stickers to prevent licking cross over – amazing!

Girls going wild in red light district – Famed for its red light district, Amsterdam attracts thousands of visitors every year, curios about the spectacle of prostitution.

This awesome awareness campaign created by Duval Guillaume Modem and produced by Monodot in support of Stop the Traffik highlights the exploitation of the sex trafficking industry. The silence from passers by at the end says it all really, it’s an interesting campaign and well worth a watch.

Change the tune poster – Now, before anyone gets too excited, this is not available to buy #SadFace. It was built as a research and design project at Agency Republic to help improve democracy when it comes to choosing the daily office soundtrack. It’s an awesome little accessory for anyone who works in a team of people with ‘questionable music tastes’, please let someone release one on the market soon, we need one here in the VAN office!!

The VAN network is jam packed with fab videos again this week, from crazy human catapult action to dancing sausages – Here’s a quick snap shot of some of our latest campaigns…

Let Your Body Drive – Produced by our sister company Rubber Republic to promote the launch of the new Peugeot 208, the video features some seriously smooth dance moves from YouTube sensation Nonstop, aka Marquese Scott.

According to Peugeot, the new model ‘has been designed to be perfectly in tune with the driver’s body: more intuitive, more sensation, more stimulation.’ Set against the urban geometry of an underground car park, Nonestop manipulates his body perfectly in tune with the upbeat rhythm of music by Rudimental featuring John Newman. It’s designed to leave the viewer unsure whether the video has been altered or played in slow motion, but believe it or not the clip was shot in one continuous take with no edits or special effects.

Levi Roots Reggae Reggae Sauce – Aardman Animations and JWT London are putting some music back into your food with this fun little ad featuring a clay model of Levi Roots, who shot into the limelight back in 2007 when he successfully pitched on the TV show Dragon’s Den. Singing along to his now trade mark line ‘tastes so nice a had to name it twice’, never have sausages and chicken drumsticks looked so happy, dancing merrily as they bask in the warmth of the BBQ grill!

Most insane blob ever into paddling pool – We’re seeding this one for the awesome charity Give More who are raising awareness of charitable causes with crazy stunts like launching someone 50ft into the air to land in a paddling pool. Don’t try this at home folks!

Leo - On a more serious note, in a modern world where people are increasingly obsessed with their looks, the disfigurement charity Changing Faces has released an advertising campaign to raise awareness of the unconscious prejudices of society and help promote tolerance. Created by DDB, the ad shows ‘Leo,’ a facially disfigured man watching a woman from a car outside her house. He walks through the rain and taps on her door… what happens next is probably not what most people were expecting, but it highlights the preconceived ideas that society can form about people who look different.