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The Fascination of the Internet Celebrity — Independent Marketing at its most Wacky, and a Hat Tip to the Next Big Thing

There’s nothing more inspiring than watching a man dressed in a TRON costume shake hands with Jimmy Kimmel on late night television. There, I’ve said it.

I am fascinated with Internet sensations and celebrate when they’re given the prime-time attention they deserve. My glee in watching Chris Crocker talk about his obsession with Britney Spears stems not just from my love of all things wacky, or my secret crush on Britney, but from a serious marketing perspective; these individuals have donned a costume or explored character traits using viral marketing and not only received attention but applause.

We live in a digital era, where demand far outperforms supply. As consumers, we simply can not input enough information, collective fingers weary from tapping the “refresh” button. Therefore, a pioneer of independent marketing may not have known the power he or she harnessed when they originally shot footage of their hamster turning around dramatically, and added cinema horror music.

They may not have been aware that speaking out in support of Ms. Spears could be their “big break,” and could lead to celebrity status, website advertisements and even (in the case of ObamaGirl) prime-time television appearances and endorsements.

Capitalizing on this phenomenon is Saturday Night Live alum Will Ferrell, who realized that his comedic alma mater’s short-clip format could now be utilized to entertain and capture our sometimes fleeting attention spans whenever we wanted through one free online hub. Ergo, we arrived at funnyordie.com in droves, and water cooler conversation has shifted from “did you watch Seinfeld or CSI Miami” to “have you watched The Landlord?”

The hat tip in this case goes to my favourite Internet celebrity, Brandon Hardesty. He has recently been featured on Jimmy Kimmel, but I was a fan long before his YouTube clips made their way to Late Night producers. Hardesty re-enacts classic scenes from movies, verbatim, with outstanding voice impressions, clever camera work, and his parent’s basement. I recommend his re-enactments of Clerks, Jurassic Park, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Enjoy, and please, share with others. I’ll be at the water cooler.

~ Sam Amsterdam, Account Coordinator, GCI Canada