Going Viral

CHAPTER ONE

The power of share

In 2010 I was sitting at my desk putting together some notes for a night class I was scheduled to teach, when I got a phone call. The woman calling introduced herself as Cheryl, and explained that she was the director of a boutique advertising agency in Sydney, Australia. Her voice was rushed and forceful, like she was stressed. She explained she had heard I was doing research into viral movies, and wanted some advice. I was flattered she called me, and curious.

We chatted for about five minutes, where after some small talk and pleasantries she explained her predicament. She told me her agency had recently taken on a client who wanted to launch a new brand of underwear. Her brief was to produce an advertisement ...