David Beckham Pepsi viral: analysis by David Reviews
David Beckham’s 69-second viral video has sparked some fierce debate online among the 1.5 million people who have viewed it on YouTube, with arguments raging over whether it is real or fake, and whether or not it is an ad for Pepsi.
Among the many difficulties associated with the creation of viral advertising is the online audience's instinctive resistance to it. Internet users have an even greater sense than the television audience that they're entitled to enjoy entertainment without the inconvenience of interruptions provided by advertising.
It's a selfish and childish position but it's one that cannot be circumvented and advertising has to be stealthy to avoid provoking the anger of the online community. The featured clip starring David Beckham pulls off this trick with considerable aplomb.
It ought to be acknowledged that the clip is a little irritating. The reaction of the unseen fellow behind the camera is so sycophantic that you want to punch him in the face but that actually provides one of the clip's key assets... it looks enough like it might have been filmed by a passer-by to fool a proportion of those who've watched it. This may seem incredible but if you scroll through the comments beneath the clip on YouTube, you'll see that there's a lively debate about whether or not Beckham really achieved the depicted feat.
Although this discussion has provoked a lot of cynicism, almost none of it is directed at Pepsi. Their involvement largely passes under the radar and that's the ideal position for a product like theirs in an online campaign.
A clever PR push has ensured that this clip has gained attention across the media. There was even a short discussion about it on Radio 4's Today programme yesterday morning (12 April).
Best of all, a proportion of those who've seen the clip appear to think that it's cynical to suggest that this is advertising at all. They appear to genuinely believe that David Beckham was casually sauntering along a beach with a can of Pepsi in his hand when these events happened to unfold. And they're attacking anyone who suggests otherwise as a killjoy.
Pepsi can afford to sit back and watch this debate unfold without any concern about the reaction it provokes because none of the negativity is aimed in their direction. A perfect outcome.
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