If you haven’t seen the Doghouse video yet, you’re not only missing an entertaining piece of film, but also a fantastic example of how one company has:
1. taken a a proactive move to turn a negative into a positive
2. bypassed cheesy TV commercials and product placement/integration
3. taken viral marketing to the next level
Instead of sulking away after a sexy video claiming to promote JCPenney, but not actually produced by them, hit inboxes last summer, the company fought back. In the process, they’ve created a masterful viral campaign.
B.L. Ochman at Advertising Age explains why the Doghouse video went viral:
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.”
I wanted to make sure the video was actually put out by the retailer, and it is. The home page for the promotion provides a way to get out of the doghouse: JCPenney Jewelers. They’ve even included an interactive way to send warnings or put men into the doghouse, therefore spreading the video further.
Brilliant, JCPenney! Bravo
