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"This year in viral video ads feels a lot like last year \u2014 many advertisers chose to evolve successful concepts and characters, such as Old Spice pairing Mustafa with Fabio for an old-fashioned Internet duel, and DC Shoes continuing Ken Block's hugely popular Gymkhana series. I guess the adage is, \"If it's not broken, don't fix it.\" \n\nSEE ALSO: 8 Simple Tips for Your YouTube Ad Campaign\nFor some advertisers on this year's Top 10 videos, the creative choices may be less obvious, but feel more innovative. Boldness trumping caution is certainly one theme for videos represented by K-Swiss's foul-mouthed Kenny Powers and Ford Focus's flirtatious sock puppet. But other advertisers have other audiences in mind, drawn to the poignancy and emotion of Volkswagen's The Force and The Silent Indian National Anthem videos, which proves there is no single formula for success for viral video ads, other than knowing your audience and being very creative about engaging them. \nHere are the top ten viral video ads for 2011. Let us know your favorites in the comments below.\n\n\nThe 10 Most Innovative Viral Video Ads of 2011\u2028\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n1. Kenny Powers - K-Swiss MFCEO (Uncensored)\n\nAdvertiser: K-Swiss\n\u2028\nAd Agency: 72andSunny\n\u2028\u2028\nWhy It Works: We constantly hope advertisers take more chances, and when they do we're slightly dumbstruck, which is a reasonable reaction to K-Swiss's video for its new training shoe, K-Swiss Tubes.\nKenny Powers, the alter ego of Danny McBride from the HBO comedy Eastbound and Down, takes over the company as \"Mother F**king CEO.\" The result is the most profane, pitch-perfect brand video execution of the year.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n2. The Force: Volkswagen Commercial\n\nAdvertiser: Volkswagen\n\u2028\nAd Agency: Deutsch\nWhy It Works: One of the most popular commercials from this year's Super Bowl is a hit on the web for the same reason. The video tweaks the heartstrings of every parent and fan of Star Wars, which is just about everyone. And at 44 million views just about everyone did watch it.\n\u2028\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n3. The Silent Indian National Anthem\n\nAdvertiser: BIG Cinemas\n\u2028\nAd Agency: Mudra Group DDB\n\u2028\u2028\nWhy It Works: India is a country with many different languages and ethnic cultures which are often at odds. To promote unity during India\u2019s 61st year as a Republic, the country's largest theatre chain ran a heart-warming video of special needs children from Mumbai singing the national anthem in sign language before every film. It's a brand video for an entire country at its most hopeful.\n\u2028\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n4. Life in a Day\n\nAdvertiser: Backed by YouTube/LG Electronics\n\u2028\nAd Agency: NA\n\u2028\u2028\nWhy It Works: Life In a Day is the first crowdsourced, user-generated video to premiere at Sundance, which might say something about the heft of its backers, or about the film's sheer audacity. \nOn July 24, 2010, in one single day, 80,000 video submissions culled to 94 minutes of inspiring film with help from Hollywood directors Ridley Scott and Kevin Macdonald.\n\u2028\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n5. Doug, Ford\u2019s Spokespuppet: Origins\u2028\n\nAdvertiser: Ford Motor Company\n\u2028\nAd Agency: WPP Team Detroit\n\u2028\u2028\nWhy It Works: If you're buying a new car, would you trust a mouthy, narcissistic sock puppet named Doug to help you make the right choice? Ford obviously thinks so and with over 50 videos posted to YouTube we agree. The automaker gets huge props for boldness and, as brand spokespuppet, Doug shows a deft social touch, bantering with users on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n6. Go Beyond The Cover\n\nAdvertiser: Dermablend Pro\n\u2028\nAd Agency: Agence Tuxedo\n\u2028\u2028\nWhy It Works: Dermablend uses its make up to conceal the full body tattoos of seriously tatted Rico Genest (a.k.a. Zombie Boy) in this strange, can't-take-your-eyes-off-it video.\nThe viewer decides for himself how beauty is judged, and what to conceal or reveal, which makes this imaginative entry a must for this year's top 10.\n\u2028\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n7. Seagull Stole GoPro\n\nAdvertiser: GoPro\n\u2028\nAd Agency: NA\n\u2028\u2028\nWhy It Works: This video from GoPro, makers of wearable digital cameras, proves \"faux\" viral video still has legs or, in this case, wings. Uploaded on YouTube by user Opica1983, the video shows a seagull absconding with a GoPro camera, flying over rooftops in Cannes, and landing. \nThe conversation about this classic \"real\" or \"fake\" execution rages to this day, but seems too perfect to not be sponsored by the company, who continue to deny it.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n8. World Gone Sour (The Lost Kids)\n\nAdvertiser: Sour Patch Kids\n\u2028\nAd Agency: Mother NY\nWhy It Works: Hardcore rapper Method Man might not be the obvious choice to promote Sour Patch Kids, but that might be part of the genius of this full-length music video by the rapper, \"World Gone Sour.\"\nThe Kids, true to form, make Method Man\u2019s life unbearable by appearing in all the wrong places.\n\u2028\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n9. Official Ojai Valley Taxidermy Commercial\n\nAdvertiser: Ojai Valley Taxidermy\n\u2028\nAd Agency: Rhett and Link\n\u2028\u2028\nWhy It Works: YouTube celebs Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal are no strangers to viral video ad success, having produced popular brand videos for Microsoft, Taco Bell, and General Motors. But this video for regional advertiser Ojai Valley Taxidermy finds an improbable Internet star in Chuck Testa, owner of Ojai Valley Taxidermy, which spawned one of our favorite Internet memes of the year \u201CNope! Chuck Testa.\u201D\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n10. Party Rock Anthem - Kia Soul Hamster Commercial\n\nAdvertiser: Kia Soul\n\u2028\nAd Agency: David &amp; Goliath\n\u2028\u2028\nWhy It Works: The three \"gansta\" hamsters have been on the hamster wheel for Kia Soul since 2009. This year, the automaker manages to keep it fresh by dropping the little guys in the middle of a post-apocalyptic video game with a soundtrack from LMFAO, one of YouTube's most watched music videos of all time.\nIt's a smart move and appealing to people with pint-sized budgets who still want to feel badass about their car selection.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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