Eduard Khil, a Russian baritone that found relative success in the 60s and 70s, became an Internet pop culture sensation last year when a video entitled “I am very glad, because I’m finally going home” was uploaded onto YouTube. Featuring a 1976 performance by Khil, it quickly became a popular meme and was nicknamed “Trololololololololololo,” while Khil, himself, was dubbed the “Trololo Man.”
Variations of the film exist, most notably the one included above featuring a revealing scene from LOST.
OK Go, a rock band widely known for its music video for their hit song, “Here It Goes Again,” recently released a follow-up video that many are hailing as greater than the original. Their YouTube video for “This Too Shall Pass” received 4,168 Diggs to date and is already an internet sensation.
It’s the dream of any marketer for its video to go viral. But this is the entertainment of the every-person, and thus demands a certain level of authenticity. Being quirky for quirkiness’ sake may inspire a few laughs, but it’s the true moments of weird that really inspire the views.
So what are some traits of a successful viral vid? Here are five common characteristics:
1.) They’re more than just stories, they’re experiences – Whether it’s cute kittens or a peaceful aquarium, the video offers something captivating to watch from beginning to end.
2.) They’re easy to digest – Simple concepts that don’t require too much thought. Seriously, what could be less complicated than “Numa Numa” or “Star Wars Kid“?
4.) They offer an innovative or unique view of life that’s different from our own – We find escape through entertainment, so it’s no wonder that fun videos from other cultures and viewpoints become so popular. Check out “Little Superstar” or “Tunak Tunak Tun” to see what I mean.
5.) They’re easily shared – Perhaps the most obvious trait is that sharing isn’t restricted (at least not until after the virility has taken effect.)
VEVO launched on Tuesday with widespread reaction from the web. Formed under a partnership with Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and the Abu Dhabi Media Company, VEVO attempts to do for music videos what Hulu has done for high-quality television content. Analysts are split between skepticism and praise. While some view the Hulu model as less beneficial to music videos than to television content, others like Michael Learmonth of Silicon Valley Insider, see strong advantages with VEVO’s packaging:
Nearly two years ago, Hulu asked and answered the question of whether people want to watch high-quality network TV on the web. They do. Now Vevo is asking if they want to watch high-quality music videos. The performance of those videos on YouTube suggests the answer to that question is the same.
But while Hulu put many of those shows on the web for the first time, Vevo is taking what is largely already on the web and packaging it differently. Still, it starts with a huge traffic advantage. Hulu needed more than a year to reach 400 million views.
NewTeeVee’s Janko Roettgers continued the comparison by stating that a Hulu model for music videos is fundamentally flawed since music videos and television content are inherently different mediums. Roettgers contends that VEVO should allow for user contributions and not just offer premium content like Hulu:
The idea is not to separate music videos from all these user contributions, but to embrace them, much in the same way Warner Sony did with the JK wedding video, which helped to propel the Chris Brown song used in the video to the top of various download charts. In other words, if you want to have a Hulu-like success story for music videos, you shouldn’t build another Hulu, but something with an upload button.
I spoke briefly with Google CEO Eric Schmidt, who told me that Vevo, which is a joint venture between Google’s YouTube and the major record labels, will “revolutionize the music industry by finally allowing it to make money online.” As for how, he told me to wait and see, but he added that advertising, merchandise and ticket sales are part of the mix. As I was being ushered out of the VIP section, I managed to talk with artist Sheryl Crow. Asked what impact Vevo could have on the industry, she said, “Nothing will ‘save’ the music business, but every little thing helps. And anything that puts money in artists’ hands for the work they do is a good thing.”
The public reaction to Vevo, however, has been underwhelming to say the best. Hypebot reports that, upon launch, users who attempted to use the site encountered several errors and were unable to find a bevy of music that is easily available on YouTube. At CNET, Matt Rosoff complained that his attempt to watch a U2 video stalled at 80 percent, and he is far from the only one complaining.
And while the site may not have been totally functional during the launch, MediaMemo’s Peter Kafka still sees hope in VEVO’s future:
Still, this isn’t a total wipeout for Vevo. Because while everyone has rightly been flocking to Vevo.com itself for a look-see, it’s not the most important Web site for the joint venture. That would be YouTube, where most Vevo users are actually going to encounter–and watch–Vevo videos, without even knowing that they’re watching a Vevo video.
To be clear: When Google’s video site agreed to help Universal Music Group (and later Sony) launch a new hub for music videos, it didn’t mean it would be sending its users away from YouTube.
When you read about Vevo launching with 400 million video views in the first month, understand that the majority of those aren’t coming from the new site but from YouTubers who are watching music clips the same way they always do, on YouTube. But Vevo will get credit for those eyeballs and any ad dollars they generate.
So for now, the advice I offered would-be Vevo-watchers yesterday in advance of the launch remains useful today: If you want to watch a Vevo video, head to YouTube. Vevo won’t mind. Really.
There’s yet another comparison being made: Analysts are calling VEVO the new MTV…
