More on Jewelry Advertising and Viral Videos

The JC Penney “Doghouse” campaign that we talked about last week was intended to go viral. And lo and behold, it may actually have done so.  Bloomberg’s calling it a hit. While the ad still has its detractors (like Gawker), it has been viewed some 1.7 million times, according to Wired.  And here’s what an AdAge columnist wrote this week …

The Doghouse came to me from women friends, it came in a direct message on Twitter and more than one male friend sent it with the note, "I know you’ll love this." And that, in a nutshell, is what makes a viral. One friend saying to another: "I know you’ll get a kick out of this, relate to this, etc."

You can see the “Doghouse” video at any of the links above, or here.

But the viral video that caught my eye this week – someone I know even posted it on Facebook! – was this “Target: Women” segment on “Jewelry,” that aired on “Current TV.” It skewers ads from Kay, Zale, De Beers, just about everyone …You can see it below:

In a way, this segment is totally antithetical to everything the J.C. Penney ad is saying. I found it funny – but I also hope, for the good of all our livelihoods, that it doesn’t get around much. (It’s currently at only 800 views on youtube; the Penney ad has topped 600,000.)

To be fair, the “Target: Women” series has also taken on many different forms of women-oriented advertising and media (even Disney Princesses!), so the industry is not alone here. But I’m offering it as something that will hopefully stir discussion – and perhaps bring up the point that what worked in the past may be viewed more skeptically by future generations …