"The Hero" movie case: when Viral is not a Virus.

First of all, if you're among the few web surfers who haven't already, visit this:

http://tinyurl.com/greatesthero and after the loading step (yea yea I know if your connection isn't top notch it can be a tad bit annoying) watch the video.

It's the "The Hero - A movie about you or someone you know", a short movie you can find at http://en.tackfilm.se (it's in swedish with english subtitles).

What's peculiar about it?

The fact you can customize the movie (which is really well made) with your own picture, becoming the protagonist; in just a few clicks and without even having to register you can make your video to share directly or through the major social networks (Facebook, Twitter, etc).

Erm okay, so what?

The page with the video in just 8 weeks received 14 millions of unique page views.

o_O How?

That video is the very essence of the definition of "Viral video". It managed to get all those people hooked, thanks to the wish to show off that every person deep inside holds.

It usually goes like this:

1. You receive the video and start watching it thinking it's just a trailer of a movie like many others.
2. *Chuckles* Oh wow that's my friend! So lame! / So cool!
3. After a 30 seconds, whatever you thought about it, you'll be there uploading your picture (the site kindly is inviting you to, could you refuse?) "just to see how it looks / works".
4. Hei! I look quite cool there, maybe I'll show it to afterall...

(those of course that thought it was cool at step 2, wont even wait the 30 seconds to start sending it like crazy to whoever they have on their msn/FB/YM list)

In the end, everybody dreamt to be an hero at least once, and the way that video is realized can't help but to pump up your desire to be one, even if just for the length of 2:33 minutes.

Viral videos and even more so viral marketing draw their strongest force from the often predictable reactions of the human mind to external stimulus that tickle those desires and taboo we keep inside, till they accomplish their goal: Make the tickled one want to tickle also others. And so they find themselves being the pathogen agent without even realizing it.