Cat videos and spoofing proving beneficial for branding

The level of branding has gone a step ahead. Have you ever thought cat videos and spoofing could be beneficial for branding? There is something about a cat causing mayhem in a video that draws in our attention, transfixes us to a screen, has us in stitches of laughter and before we know it we are sharing it with all our friends and family.

Whether we like it or not, there are a lot of people out there spending their time looking at cat videos. Even those allergic to cats watch cat videos used for branding purposes. A recent example of a cat video which made a buzz is the Sainsbury’s ‘Mog’s Christmas Calamity’ advert. But this ad campaign can’t be classified as an ordinary cat video you find on the internet. The ad takes you on the journey of Mog, the cat, and the perils of Mog awakening in fright from a nightmare before Christmas and destroying the family home. However, through the good spirit of neighborly sharing the family can celebrate Christmas again.

The ad is proving to be popular, presently it has been viewed 18.1 million times on YouTube and Sainsbury’s has sold out of its Mog cat toy much to the disappointment of many children. From a branding perspective, it does what all good brands should do promotes their values on what they believe in. It also tells a story and takes you on an entertaining adventure. The perils of Mog make you feel what the spirit of Christmas should be about for sharing.

It has become so popular that Aldi’s made a spoof of it, where a very similar looking old man on the moon compares the prices of two telescopes between John Lewis and Aldi. When I first watched this ad, I initially started laughing and found it very entertaining. Only released late last week, it has so far had 1.8 million YouTube views.

These campaigns are wonderful from a branding perspective and their viewing figures are proof of this. They tell us a story, make us laugh and cry, but best of all promoting values to people that are helping others.