This Week's Best YouTube Ad Campaign: Tipp-Ex Impresses With Custom Interactive YouTube Video

I love writing about "outside-the-box" YouTube videos.  Anytime a brand can push the boundaries of what's possibly on YouTube while also exuding humor and creativity, I take notice.  You might remember me pointing out such ads for Google Chrome or the film The Expendables.   And now there's a new one from Tipp-Ex called "NSFW. A Hunter Shoots A Bear" that I think is outstanding.

Best YouTube Ad Campaign This Week

The ad begins as a standard YouTube video, only 30 seconds long.  But near the end of the clip, there are buttons presented to you in a sort of choose-your-own-adventure kind of way, as you're asked to choose whether the main character shoots the bear or not.  Regardless of what you choose, you're then taken to a page that looks like another YouTube video, but it's not.  It's a full-page flash file.

The hunter then reaches over to the right of the "video player," and grabs the Tipp-Ex white-out tape from the nearby advertisement, and uses it to erase the word "shoots" from the video's title.  He then invites you to fill in your own word and watch the results.  And at this point, it's like the old Subservient Chicken viral site Burger King ran years ago.

So I typed a few words, but kept getting the 404 video (which is humorous enough on its own). I started with "imitates," then "slaps," and then "rick-rolls," but the hunter couldn't do any of those things to the bear.  But then I hit a streak of good luck.  I typed "dances with" and got a great clip of a man/bear dance party.  I typed "punches" and got a boxing match—the bear won.

You'll get hilarious results for things like "eats," "sings to," "kisses," "carries," and who-knows how many other action words.  And yes… for the lowbrow fans among us… you'll get an actual result for the f-word as well.

DVD Extras: if you refuse to type something for the bear to do… the main character will eventually come back on screen and harass you for taking so long.

See, this is what video needs more of.  This is funny, clever, original, and interactive—and best of all, it demonstrates the product in a memorable way.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to try more verbs.  Try it yourself by watching the video below: