Corporate viral video showcase: Philips and Fon

We've seen a lot of pretty bad corporate attempts to woo the YouTube crowd -- for every Will It Blend? there's a million PSP disasters -- so these two clips from Fon and Philips score some points for actually making us smile. Fon unleashed a WiFi-seeking matador with a ridiculous fake accent on the streets of San Francisco, eventually sending him to a Starbucks to curse the high access charges and champion the Fon Community. It's not exactly a knee-slapper, but it's fairly amusing when the guy calls it "Wi-fee." On the other hand, Philips' mockumentary for their Bodygroom manscaper is one of the best virals we've seen in a long time -- the sad story of Frank "Furback" Sack and his walk-through Coney Island body hair remover is an inspiration to us all, if only for sheer number of double entendres it contains. Check both videos after the break. (Warning: the Philips video has some mildly blue language in it.)

Fon:


Philips Bodygroom:

[Owen V @ Jul 10th 2007 3:04AM]

I"m glad the bodygroom narrator kept his robe on

[Ziokendo @ Jul 10th 2007 3:07AM]

Philips' one is brilliant.

[trancer @ Jul 10th 2007 3:13AM]

"smooth as a porpoise" lol

body hair, its a good thing

[Nomi @ Jul 10th 2007 3:24AM]

You gotta love the swearing...they sensor just enough lol.

[Jumbie @ Jul 10th 2007 3:26AM]

heh, loved the Phillips ad. The FON one...not so much...

There's actually another one I've seen for the body groom. Not as long but funnier IMO.

[tchiseen @ Jul 10th 2007 5:06AM]

that philips one was pretty good. they took it just too far enough to make it funny, also, i like the bit where they're scattering pubes into the wind. well done.

[Raghu @ Jul 10th 2007 6:28AM]

Nilay, "PhiLips" should have only one "L" in your tags

[Ethan @ Jul 10th 2007 8:46AM]

I actually own a bodygroom. It's really a nice product, and probably quite handy for guys that look like damn gorillas.

[Michael @ Jul 10th 2007 9:54AM]

I watched the Philips one first..it was pretty funny. I was a little surprised at the number of times they had to bleep "c**k" and "b***s," they bleeped it just barely enough. I guess they felt the need to make it a little edgy or something.

Based on the comments, I didn't think the Fon ad would be funny, but I liked it. The guy asking what kind of accent the matador had was silly. Who dresses like that and has a British accent?

Both decent corporate viral video attempts, in my opinion.

[sir @ Jul 10th 2007 9:57AM]

does it hurt your B***s when you shave them?

[ruben @ Jul 10th 2007 10:02AM]

What a crude and stupid viral.

It seems that creative directors in marketing departments love to appeal to the lowest common denominators, and like to produce trash.

[Scooter @ Jul 10th 2007 10:18AM]

it is rubbish. Body hair is natural. Grooming tools are junk. Don't buy the idea, don't buy the product. Women dig guys with clear masculine traits, not lookalike eunuchs.

[Ladyfox @ Jul 10th 2007 11:24AM]

Speak for yourself hon some of us prefer men over wookies. ^__^

[Scooter @ Jul 10th 2007 12:36PM]

@Ladyfox, presumably you're dating pre-pubescent children if you think men come without hair. Doubtless you're a shaven raven yourself, with a body image fashioned by razor makers and airbrush editors, rather than common sense. Get real. Women wear it on their heads, men on their chests (and backs).

[Out of Space @ Jul 10th 2007 3:15PM]

Ladyfox, some of us prefer men over little boys.

Shaven men. Yuck.

[Krolls @ Jul 10th 2007 5:46PM]

"They flocked to his cock like seagulls to french fries"

fucking love it