So ‘parody’ seems to be having a moment in the media. Last year saw the surprising comeback of the comedian, author, producer and musician “Weird Al” Yankovic and his triumph came in the form of a number one album. Even for a generic pop star this is something to celebrate, but for a comedy album in 2014 this is something spectacular. In fact, the release titled Mandatory Fun is the first comedy album to reach the top spot in America since 1963. In an age where humorous homemade You Tube videos dominate the world of comedy, we thought it was pretty awesome to see the man who perfected spoofs back in the 80s and 90s get some recognition from the world, and that they actually paid money to own his product. It also reminded us that parody in video is something that is a viable profit maker and should be considered seriously as a form of video marketing by companies large and small.
But what is it exactly? Well, they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but simply mimicking a song or a personality isn’t quite enough. A parody is normally an imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect. For example in 1992 Weird Al used a Nirvana song to make fun of Kurt Cobain’s hard to understand vocals, which was well received by everyone including the band themselves.
Some parody videos aren’t made to be sold as videos in the way that Wierd Al has done so successfully. A lot of them are made in the hope that they ‘go viral’ (an ongoing prayer made by every PR guru across the globe) or just as a little titbit to accompany a bigger brand strategy. For example, when promoting the movie 22 Jump Street Channing Tatum made fun of the Epic Splits video which starred Jean Claude Van Damme for Volvo trucks. Tatum attempted to copy the stunt on two food trolleys in a clip which seemed to bare no connection to the movie but still caused a few giggles.
FREE GUIDE: 5 Types of Video to Improve Your Business
Along with a string of big budget Hollywood trailers this snippet which appeared online helped sell the movie as self-aware and with actors who weren’t afraid to poke fun at themselves. Of course people who don’t take themselves too seriously have always been popular in Hollywood. Mel Brooks made a career out of parody with films such as Blazing Saddles (imitating typical western film), Spaceballs (Star Wars) and Silent Movie all gracing our screens in the 70s and 80s. More recently, the Scary Movie franchise took off in 2000 and made its name by recreating scenes from popular horror films such as Scream, The Blair Witch Project and I Know What You Did Last Summer. Although not particularly critically acclaimed the movie went onto have four sequels which have taken over $800 million at the box office worldwide.
So what about creating a parody style ad for your business? Can it be done on a budget? We certainly think so. Take a look at this ad by John St. called Catvertising.
The creative geniuses talk passionately about their new business model, the world’s first ‘catvertising’ agency whilst facts and figures paint a picture of flourishing profits in this ever growing popular industry. They even set up their own modelling studio for cats which is scarily believable when you consider the sheer volume of cat videos available on You Tube today. They even claim to have made Ninja Kitty citing storyboards as evidence. As an advertising agency themselves they are of course ahead of the game when is come to what’s hot in their area of expertise, but the well-made tongue in cheek video sells their brand as fun, knowledgeable and highly polished; all through the power of parody.
Big companies you wouldn’t expect to create cheeky little videos are having a shot at it too. Interestingly, Sesame Street’s most famous spoof (when Grover recreates the famous Old Spice advert) was aimed at getting more adults to watch the show. “Sesame Street has always used spoofs of popular culture to draw in and connect with its audience,” said Miles Ludwig, vice president and executive producer of Digital Media at Sesame Workshop. “We use spoofs and celebrity appearances to draw in the adult, because research shows that a child learns best when co-viewing with an adult.” Take a look at the video and you’ll find humour for adults, kids and a good dose of our new favourite friend, parody.
If you’re looking for a video that will share your brand values, make a few cultural references, encourage a few laughs and paint a picture of your business then we think there’s no reason why you shouldn’t spoof your heart out. We’ve got writers, directors and passionate filmmakers on hand to help create something you can be proud of. So give us a shout and we’ll make video advertising fun again!
Or check out our recent Ghostbusters parody. It’s Production Attic advertising, circa 1984!
