Lessons Learned From 9 Of The Most Popular Vine Videos

Vine is one of the social media platforms brands are considering for the year 2016. It’s been the talk of social media for some time, but it really caught the attention in the last twelve months.

Some companies are going all out trying to develop a clear strategy and focus on the channel. It isn’t easy though.

Vine celebrated its third year on January 22nd by releasing the list of the most popular videos in 2015. It’s the perfect time to look at the phenomenon, explore the best videos and see how brands can best take advantage of Vine’s potential.

https://vine.co/v/iBb2x00UVlv

It’s a football match between France and Germany. The video shows the moment the November terrorist attacks in Paris happened. The terrorist nearly entered the stadium but was stopped by security guards. He detonated the explosives outside the stadium.

The moment was captured by this Vine. The video is seen as one of the very first notices the world was given of this horrible attack. It was used in multiple news reports seconds after the attacks happened across the city. Vine is very immediate, it helps to shape the news and informs millions.

https://vine.co/v/eIXejbQ2utM

We were a little flabbergasted by the popularity of these six seconds of craziness, but that’s maybe why it’s so popular. It’s so crazy and out there that anyone who witnessed it couldn’t help but be stopped in their tracks. It had an immediate, cross-cultural humour that made it a massive success.

What was even scarier (sorry, impressive) was the fact that the short video with weird duck toys actually created spin-off videos. Posted on August 30th 2015, it has been played over 150 million times.

https://vine.co/v/iMAHYTw00bH

This one is beautiful in many ways. It shows a side to the famous actor that is human and likeable. It appeals to basic human emotions. We want to see him be like this because we want him to be like us. It works on that level. It also shows us that Vine can be used to capture moments.

https://vine.co/v/eDWHhFz5F3t

We can’t really find anything else to call this. It’s a child who is upset. The way it zeroes in on naked emotions hints at the power that Vine has. The ability to use video to give the audience a feeling in just six seconds. It has immense visual impact. This is a moving clip and there is probably no one on the planet that didn’t feel a lump in their throat when they saw this.

https://vine.co/v/eKPemATLpUU

This one is possibly very staged (you think?) but it works wonderfully because it makes you want to watch it again. This immediate and arresting quality that Vines can have make the platform even more powerful than YouTube.

You need to see this ‘trick’ again. Just to make sure what happened actually happened. It’s a singular quality that Vine has. Blink and you miss it. Even if you don’t miss it, you’re going to watch it again. This Vine has been seen over 93 million times since it was uploaded in May 2015.

https://vine.co/v/ewJP7Mh0A1V

This child is obviously very unimpressed with the present he receives, but he takes it on the chin and becomes a Vine sensation. This clip shows how those little moments in life can create really compelling stuff. The human side of this moment makes powerful viewing.

https://vine.co/v/eDlKO0lTKvZ

What can we say? This poor child is obviously hurt by what happens in the video. The fact that it has such an arresting visual impact attests to how Vine has made a great impression on the world. It bears repeated viewing. Like all of those video fail shows on TV, you want to see just how bad things really were.

https://vine.co/v/e1vZMFtdODA

This is just about as cool as you could possibly want a natural video to be. This is a fantastic example of using Vine to grab people’s attention with something that’s very ‘different’ and you can’t help but rewatch. For a second it almost feels like a horror film. Then it just becomes very weird and very wonderful.

It’s something you can show your friends on your phone, during that moment in class when the teacher isn’t looking. It’s phenomenal stuff and we don’t care if it’s staged. Visual and lightning quick. It’s quite possibly the most perfect example of a naturally successful Vine video.

https://vine.co/v/e6nLQQuYJPn

Not really. The child is caught out in a soft play area. This is a wonderfully funny little video that shows a child simply carried away by the enormous fun of soft play. Everyone relates to this because it taps into that feeling you get in any playground or funfair situation. On top of all of that, it gets it done in just six seconds.

1. Immediacy. The videos have that immediate feeling. You only have six seconds to show what needs to be shown. The idea and the message has to be immediate. We’ll talk about Vine and its ability to convey a message in a bit. These videos have the amazing impact simply because they grab your attention straightaway. There’s nothing ambiguous. You either get a build-up (DiCaprio) in anticipation that you just cannot avoid, or you see something happen straightaway that you can’t take your eyes off.

2. Repeated play potential. If you’re able to upload a Vine that rewards the viewer with that feeling of ‘one more play’ then you’re looking at something that will stand the test of time. Something that will be seen a lot. If the Vine is a one-off and simply makes the viewer think ‘oh well’ you won’t be getting any repeats. How can you make your videos more sticky?

3. Being human. From DiCaprio to the child who fakes present gratitude, some of the best Vines show how being human can make us a little vulnerable. We all relate to that. It may be worth thinking about how you can get this across in your videos. How can you tap into the emotions that people feel on a daily basis? Crack that and you have a powerful Vine.

4. Different. The Duck Army one shows this perfectly. There is no way to really describe how this works other than talking about how different it is. It actually has that immediate weirdness and difference that makes it stand out even from the best Vines. It’s something you want to share. As simple as that. The same goes for the girl on the trampoline. No words required. Just watch the damn thing. Then watch it again.

https://vine.co/v/hX237WL6Ha0

Disney has some of the best creatives around, but with this Vine they invited their fans to create something. The result was spectacular. It definitely rewards with repeated viewing. It was part of a contest called ‘Show your Disney Side’. It works because it has one of the most iconic Disney characters essentially take over the video. The fact that it’s very personal and individual means that it works on another level too.

This video is a good example of a brand asking its advocates to share their own emotions about the brand. It uses loyal fans to create better branding. All in six seconds.

https://vine.co/v/hQFdjnqgpjp

Here’s an example of a brand using Vine to tease. This video tantalises with a vibe for a new spoof segment. It does it in the famous six seconds. It perfectly encapsulates how Vine can be used as an appetiser before the main course. It has garnered over 300,000 views so far.

Oh, and with Sir Ian McKellen in it, no one is going to watch this any less than twice (is that really him?).

https://vine.co/v/hxni0PTqKhM

GE didn’t sell anything at all here. The Vine really has nothing to do with GE. Only the fact that they are running a competition to get people to send in their science experiments. It’s powerful because it has huge audience engagement (over 300 entries were sent in) and each video was simply awesome.

GE didn’t try to sell, but instead used the platform to get people’s attention with cool experiments. The fact that they were involved is essentially an afterthought. The engagement was the key.

https://vine.co/v/h3IelwMl2LK

This is a rarity. A brand that uses Vine to tell a marketing story with a one-off video. It doesn’t need any follow up, any links or anything else. You can watch this time and time again and no further information is required. It isn’t an appetiser. It’s an incredibly powerful ad in itself. Everything is contained in just six seconds.

Volkswagen have some serious creatives behind its doors. This is just genius stuff and we hope they are paid well. The Vine shows a car going through history. The Beetle has often been seen as the indestructible side of the company. This video shows that perfectly as the car literally goes around the world.

The best part of the video is the subtle aspect that is included. Something that you don’t immediately get (repeated viewing required). You do see the car in a 360 degree rotation. That must have been hundreds of photos.

The result is an ad that shows the car in all of its glory. It also shows a clear branding message. It’s quite possibly one of the best examples of branding we have seen on the platform.

https://vine.co/v/hxiOv2nHXjp

These guys know how to promote their wares (even jumping on hip hop back when Run DMC were big). They saw the recent World Cup as a perfect opportunity to create a Vine that had that ‘just have to watch to the end’ feel. This is a perfect place for marketing. The product being sold is there throughout each one of the six seconds.

It’s an ad that actually doesn’t feel like an ad. What’s even more genius about this Vine is the fact that we have a piece of marketing that has instant nostalgia behind it. You really feel for the Adidas when you watch this. It also capitalises on the World Cup which gets any football fan excited.

History, selling and branding. All in just six seconds.

It can embrace it, basically. Vine has a lot going for it. The big thing to remember is that it’s only ever going to be brief.

If your brand doesn’t have the resources to create six second videos that have any of the above qualities, don’t go for it. Some of the best Vines were home made. It should be apparent to any brand that you can’t necessarily make this stuff up unless you have real creatives and good resources.

Take a look at Disney and Adidas. They focused on the immediacy and ‘just one more go’ aspect of the medium. As long as you aim for an intelligent, immediate impact you should be fine.

A caveat from us concerns the bigger picture. All of the brand pieces we have looked at in this article (with the exception of GE perhaps) are part of something bigger. Adidas focused on the World Cup. Disney had a competition behind it. Vine is so short and immediate that it often needs an anchor unless you are showing us Leo DiCaprio’s cheeky grin.

You should try and experiment on the platform. Get involved and aim for failing a bit. Gain insights from your experience and press on. The content that sticks and gets engagement is what your brand is meant to do on Vine.