Many viral video viewers were either thinking of a kid in their lives, reliving their childhoods or were kids themselves, judging by the list of the 10 most-shared viral videos in September 2011 as tracked by Unruly Media. Four of the top 10 videos were either aimed at kids or featured kid-friendly content.
Vader, Hamsters, Puss In Boots, Muppets Go Viral
Leading the way in kid-themed videos was the fourth-most-shared-video, “The Force: Volkswagen Commercial,” which features a young boy in a Darth Vader costume being kindly led to believe he can start a car by pointing at it. This video has made frequent appearances on the Unruly Media list since it debuted during the February 2011 Super Bowl.
Interestingly, the videos ranked five through seven were all also kid-friendly. Number five, “Party Rock Anthem – Kia Soul Hamster Commercial,” is another frequent visitor to the most-shared video list and features cute furry animated hamsters invading what first appears to be a clip promoting a violent video game.
Number six, “Puss In Boots – The Cat Haz Swagger,” parodies the popular Old Spice commercials telling women their man can smell like the shirtless, muscular man in the video, only this time it is the animated character Puss In Boots standing in the shower. The clip promotes an upcoming animated feature film.
And the number seven clip, “Sesame Street: G,” features the beloved Muppets from the timeless kids’ show “Sesame Street” parodying the popular nighttime series “Glee.”
Everyone Loves a Good Prank
The number one viral video is a promotion for Carlsberg beer showing what are purportedly real-life “innocent” couples entering a Belgian movie theater that happens to be filled with 148 mean-looking bikers. While most couples leave, the ones brave enough to take their seats are rewarded with a burst of applause and a toast with bottles of Carlsberg beer.
Video Game Violence, Sports Make List
Two perennial themes represented on the top 10 viral video list, video game violence and sports, make their requisite appearances. Gameplay from the futuristic combat game “Battlefield 3? is accompanied by a soundtrack featuring the Jay-Z rap hit “99 Problems,” while an entry from DC Shoes using its endlessly popular series of Gymkhana auto stunt videos is also on the list.
Other entries include a promotional clip for a Norwegian bank featuring film star George Clooney and an advertisement for the hit Showtime program “Dexter.”
Top 10 Most-shared Online Videos Sept. 2011
1. Carlsberg – Stunts with Bikers in Cinema
2. Dexter – Season 6 Trailer
3. Ojai Valley – Taxidermy TV Commercial
4. Volkswagen – The Force TV Commercial
5. Kia – Soul Hamster Commercial
6. Puss In Boots – The Cat Haz Swagger
7. Sesame Street – G
8. Battlefield 3 – Jay Z – ‘99 Problems’
9. DC Shoes – Ken Block’s Gymkhana 4: The Hollywood Megamercial
10. DnB NOR – Clooney Ad
comScore: Online Video Consumption Grows
For the third straight month, the number of Americans viewing online content and their total online video viewing sessions grew on a month-over-month basis in August 2011, according to comScore Media Metrix data. A total of 180.37 million Americans viewed online video content in August 2011, representing fractional growth from 180.3 million July 2011, which in turn marked the second straight month of 1% growth in unique online video viewership.