14 Great Examples of Using Online Video to Save the World

Priit Kallas

413 posts

Filed under: Video, Viral

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Tags: attention span, differentiate, Digg, Dove, Facebook, Google, Greenpeace, Nestle, new media, Shocking videos, StumbleUpon, Twitter, Video, videos, WOW effect, Youtube search

My colleague studied how Greenpeace and others who want to keep our world clean use new media. Video seems to be a very powerful tool in this respect. We can all learn something from the next 14 videos. Here goes, some inspiration and food for thought.

Informational videos

Low quality, but great idea!

Simple, short and to the point.

Great idea, very interesting and memorable. The Pause button should redirect to something more interesting.

After this campaign Dove promised to address the issue and… actually did.

Result: Nestle anounced that they stop buying from suppliers who use non sustainable practices.

Shocking videos

What can we learn from these?

Short and to the point
The length of all videos is somewhere between 30 seconds and 2 minutes. The attention span is getting ever shorter. If you want to get your message through then keep it short & simple.

Be different!
Activists know that to get the attention you need to stand out. Polar bears falling from the sky?! Youthube thermometer?! Differentiate or die!

Shocking (WOW effect)
Most of these videos try to shock you, wake you up. But it doesn’t have to be a bad thing connecting emotionally and moving people is the only way to engage them. Try to get to that WOW! Make them think then you have a chance that they will act. Do you have enough WOW! in you videos?

In short we have 3 thing to learn from Greenpeace and other activists:

1. Keep it short and simple.
2. Differentiate.
3. WOW effect, be remarkable.

We can add that:

1. You have to distribute you videos far and wide.
2. Do everything you can to dominate search results (Google, Youtube search and related videos)
3. Find ways to become viral (Facebook, Twitter, Digg, StumbleUpon)

The most important rule of usability: ”Don’t make me think”

The most important rule of online video: ”Make me think”

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Origina post by Annes Org in Estonian.

Posted on: October 14, 2010