7 Runaway Video Marketing Successes on a Tight Budget

Back in the era of television, prime time commercial slots were dominated by big companies with substantial financial backing. Even on the internet today, small companies tend to be overshadowed by big players. Most of us are familiar with marketing campaigns from the likes of Old Spice (“the man your man could smell like”), Redbull (“gives you wings”), and Dove (its self-esteem project).

But not anymore – the rise of the internet has also democratized content. We’re seeing increasingly innovative video marketing examples coming out of small players that operate on a tight budget. What’s their secret?

In this article, we explore 7 marketing campaigns that became immensely successful despite the scale of their budget, and investigate why they worked.

1. The Blair Witch Project (1999)

What is it: Released in 1999, The Blair Witch Project chronicles the “real” encounters of three student filmmakers in the haunted hills near Maryland.

Why it works:

1. First mover: The film trailers were posted on a dedicated website online (mind you, that was an era where some movies were still using hand painted posters). In place of movie posters, the film producers made “real” missing posters, with lead actors credited as “missing, presumed dead”.
2. Realism: The movie combines naturalistic acting, shaky camera work, and amateur cameras. Pre and post-production were kept to a minimum to retain the rawness of the footages. The upshot? Heightened psychological affectivity and minimum production costs.

Results: Not only did The Blair Witch Project raise $248 million on a budget of $60k – which translates to an ROI of 4133%! – it also pioneered the “recovered footage” niche, thus paving the way for other box office hits like Paranormal Activity(2007) and Cloverfield (2008).

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2. GoPro

What is it: We are on the precipice of a new digital era.While AR/VR video technology has thus far been limited in uptake, 360 video technology is much more accessible, and companies like GoPro are already exploiting the advantages 360 videos offer them – to popular success.

Why it works:

1. Novelty factor: While statistics show that 360 videos are not necessarily more popular than regular videos, 360 videos do encourage viewers to watch longer and interact more.
2. Complements the theme: When it comes to adventures, there is something more visceral about watching the scene unfold from a first-person perspective, as opposed to a third-person perspective.

Results: With around 1500 employees, GoPro is a relatively small player compared to other camera makers on the market. While we can’t vouch for its current financial situation, its 360 videos remain some of the most popular videos amongst camera makers on the internet.

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3. Wonder Core

What is it: An ab training machine originating from Japan. Judging by the commercial, the machine is apparently capable of materializing as and when you need it.

Why it works:

1. Absurdity: Short, punchy, and of course, famously confounding – Most people can pick out Japanese commercials almost by intuition. They have that signature brand of absurdity that no other countries seem to be able to emulate, and this commercial demonstrates just that.
2. Memorable punchline: The punchline sticks, whether you like it or not: “Taoreru dake de fukkin Wonder Core!” (“Simply fall back and work your abs with Wonder Core”). This punchline appears in every single one of these commercials. And we can’t wait for more.

Results: As of March 2016, more than 3 million units of the machine have been sold domestically.1 Going by the popularity of these videos on the internet, the actual sales figures (including international orders) are likely to be far higher.

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4. Doritos Super Bowl Ad

What is it: Every year beginning in 2006, Doritos has been getting people to submit their commercials for the Super Bowl Game for a chance to win $1 million. This is the winning entry for 2015.

Why it works:

1. Community Hype: The crowdsourcing of commercials to the public means more opportunities for aspiring filmmakers, and more hype and brand awareness from the community ahead of the game.
2. Twist ending: Watch it for yourself to find out!

Results: Ok, so the $1 million winning payout is not cheap for Doritos. But Super Bowl advertisements are pretty expensive to begin with (the average 30-seconds slot costed $5 million in 20172). But for winner Scott Zabielski, his $2,000 video translated into $1 million in winnings. That’s an impressive ROI of 500%!

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5. Poo-Pourri

What is it: Poo-Pourri is a toilet spray that promises to trap odours and keep the bathroom smelling untainted and fresh.

Why it works:

1. Targets pain point: What’s more embarrassing than stinking up a bathroom? Stinking up a communal bathroom.
2. Smart punchline: Who hasn’t heard of the saying that ‘girls don’t poop’?

Results: Poo-Pourri’s commercial has garnered more than 39 million views on Youtube since it was uploaded in 2013. The popularity of the commercial translated into sales – so well, in fact, that the company faced $4 million in backorders when the commercial first went viral.

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6. BlendTec

What is it: A blender that promises to blend the toughest items into dust – golf balls, rotisserie chickens, iPhones – you name it.

Why it works:

1. Memorable hook: There’s no forgetting the opening punchline, “Will it blend? That is the question”, accompanied by cheesy 70s music.
2. 3 in 1: The videos not only function as commercials, but also product demonstrations and testimonials. Besides, what more can you want out of a blender that is capable of blending golf clubs into dust?

Results: BlendTec’s “Will it blend?” campaign represents the epitome of viral marketing. The founder, Tom Dickinson, reported a 700% increase in sales after 186 of these videos.

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7. VetRanch

What is it: A nonprofit dedicated to saving abandoned animals in need of medical attention. Its mission is made possible by income generated via Youtube, and donations from animal lovers from around the world.

Why it works:

1. Paying it forward: Good deeds beget more good deeds.
2. Puppies and kittens: Who doesn’t like animals and/or transformation videos?

Results: The Youtube channel for this organization has accumulated more than 1.5 million subscribers and 190 million views in the short 3 years since it was created. Youtube stardom translates into cash flow, which enables the good samaritans behind this channel to continue helping animals.

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8. *Bonus: An innovative way of presenting your business pitch

What is it: A man conducts a teleconferenced pitch wearing a mankini. While not exactly a video marketing tactic, the popularity of this video just goes to illustrate how you can make your pitches heard by a large audience –by recording them in video and uploading them onto the internet

Why it works:

1. Borderline provocative: When is the last time you’ve gone ‘meh’ at a man in a mankini? affectivity and minimum production costs.

Results: We don’t know if this young man got his seed funding. But he sure got our attention, and that of this investor’s!

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