Every online corp is trying to jump onto the viral video and user generated content bandwagon these days. Most of them fall off the wagon with a few scratches and a bruised ego, but the occasional one succeeds.

Will It Blend was a great example of a viral campaign that succeeded massively on YouTube, one of the first in fact. Yielding many whiny wishes from my husband that “if we lived in the US, he would definitely be buying one of their food-blenders-with-a-lawnmower-engine”, the aim of the campaign was to show quite how powerful that engine is.

The latest campaign that impressed me is in fact for an American illusionist called Criss Angel and his (probably lame) A&E tv show. Rather than opt for a one-size-fits-all viral video, it’s been done through the use of a vast number of pre-recorded cut scenes, which are stranded together based on the customisation your friend has done. No explanation is as good as seeing it for yourself, so here, go try it (and freak your friends out).

There’s no doubt in my mind that the idea is based on Burger King’s Subservient Chicken from 2004, but the Criss Angel video, while simple, is well executed and fits his style.

If the bar continues to be raised for viral videos and this kind of funky stuff continues to be created, then roll on the bandwagon!