Lessons Learned from the Muppets’ Viral Genius

So this week, our very own Drew Barbee  introduced me to a fabulous masterpiece, also known as the Muppets YouTube channel. Videos of these world famous puppets earned two Webbys this year, and WOW, did they ever deserve ‘em.

What’s so special about some videos of Kermit, Animal, Grover and all the other characters we’ve seen time and time again for decades? Simple – complete and utter cuteness. The Muppet videos (Bohemian Rhapsody being my absolute fave, but there are lots of gems) are completely adorable, entertaining, and so engaging you just can’t stop yourself from passing them along to friends and family – the definition of viral video. (The Bohemian Rhapsody video took home top honors in both the music and viral categories of the Webbys.)

So how does an old brand … and frankly, an old technology (really – how often do we see puppets these days?) reinvent itself to win the top internet awards and capture the imagination of tech geeks everywhere? Simple – they put on their thinking caps. They combined two very old concepts – a Queen song and a Muppet – and created something new and groundbreaking. Who doesn’t LOVE Beaker and his “mee mee mee mees”, the antics of over-the-top Miss Piggy or the green self-consciousness of Kermit the frog?! It’s timeless, and when paired with some classic Queen rifts, you just can’t look away.

So when you’re thinking viral – think Muppets. New ground is broken by experimenting, and sometimes, by combining some things that are old to make something completely new. You don’t always have to reinvent the wheel – sometimes you just have to redecorate it.

And so, the brilliance of Jim Henson didn’t die with him. It lives on with an unforgettable brand that is still outdoing itself and meeting the needs of a new generation of fans. Proof positive that creativity will get you everywhere.

Similar Posts

• App Inventor Looks to Make Application Creation Easy as Pie
• Gmail to Make Email Sorting a Breeze with ‘Priority Inbox’

Comments

About Author