Experiments with Mentos crowned online game changer of the decade

Online, January 4, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Closely following Eepybird's experiments was Dove's 'Evolution' campaign in second with 'Will it Blend' by Blendtec coming in third (top ten below).

40 campaigns were shortlisted by a panel of digital and online advertising experts including Ajaz Ahmed, founder AKQA, Martin Bailie, head of planning at Glue, Jason Goodman, founder of Albion, Hugo Drayton, CEO at Inskin Media, journalist Gareth Jones and GoViral Chairman Jimmy Maymann. The campaigns were then put to a vote through a global online panel.

Maymann said, "Mentos experiments with Diet Coke by Eepybird was incredibly popular. But what made it a game changer was that initially Mentos and Diet Coke didn't know about it. It proved conclusively that in the internet age, when it's so easy for people to create content and broadcast it, brands no longer have full control over their marketing. It also proved that brands who embrace what's happening around them in social media can go on to achieve incredible results."

TOP 10 CAMPAIGNS 2000 - 2009

1. 2006: Eepybird.com - Mentos + Diet Coke experiments
http://www.eepybird.com/dcm1.html
(Nominated by: Jimmy Maymann)
This campaign was never planned, neither by The Coca Cola Company nor Mentos. It started out as an experiment by Eepybird. A qualified guess would be that more than 60 million people have seen the clips that made Eepybird, Coke and Mentos internet stars.

2. 2006: Dove - Evolution:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U
(Nominated by Gareth Jones)
A great example of a corporate brand using the web to gain the trust of consumers. Taking internet users behind the scenes of the fashion industry allowed Dove to occupy the moral high ground, no mean feat I think you'll agree!

3. 2006: Blendtec - Will it blend
http://www.blendtec.com/willitblend/
(Nominated by: Jimmy Maymann)
Some people and marketing campaigns succeed in life against all odds. Tom Dickson and Blendtec are two great examples. 90 videos and 100 million views later he, Blendtec and "will it blend" are forever part of internet history.

4. 2007: Diesel - Heidis 15mb of fame
http://www.farfar.se/awards/cannes2007/heidies/
(Nominated by: Jimmy Maymann)
Heidis was all the reason Diesel usually succeeds. Doing something the others wouldn't dare and doing it in a way that is highly surprising - and very sexy.

5. 2004: Burger King - Subserviant Chicken
http://www.bk.com/en/us/campaigns/subservient-chicken.html
(Nominated by: Jason Goodman)
A man in a chicken suit willing to do whatever you tell him: what's not to like? This is undoubtedly one of the most memorable campaigns of all time.

6. 2008:Obama's online campaign
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/ofasplashpresident/
(Nominated by Martin Bailie, Gareth Jones)
Barack Obama's digital campaign was truly game changing. A great use of online advertising, social media and mobile allowed Obama to connect with millions of young, influential voters in a way that will act as a blueprint for all future political campaigns.

7. 2000: John West - Bear
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVS1UfCfxlU
(Nominated by Gareth Jones & Jimmy Maymann)
One of the most forwarded videos ever, Leo Burnett's ad featuring a kickboxing Kodiac bear arguably marked the birth of viral marketing.

8. 2009: Tourism Queensland - Best Job in the World
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SI-rsong4xs
(Nominated by Gareth Jones)
This campaign extended far beyond the web to effectively become the world's greatest PR stunt - generating more than £50m of equivalent paid-for ad space. Anyone still need convincing of the power of social media? No, I didn't think so.

9. 2008: Burger King - Whopper sacrifice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI4uzOAtPiE
(Nominated by: Jason Goodman)
Delete ten friends and get a free whopper. Eventually removed by Facebook itself. Genius because it tapped into an existing truth - everyone has friends on Facebook you care so little about, you'd swap them for a whopper.

10. 2008: Cadbury's - Gorilla
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnzFRV1LwIo
(Nominated by Hugo Drayton)
This was a game-changer in its humour, broad appeal and in showcasing that digital advertising can reach a wider (non-web-centric) audience.

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