Perhaps the best and most successful viral marketing sensation of all time all began right here in Melbourne. On behalf of the client Metro Trains, The most infamous Creative agency in the world McCANN Erickson delivered a super catchy song which today has polled over 169 Million views on Youtube. The vibrant music video highlighted what we know as ‘Dumb ways to die’ with cartoons in a fun and lighthearted way, which also cleverly illustrated the importance of remaining alert and safe around trains.
You would imagine that Metro Trains would have felt like they well and truly got their moneys worth from the investment, but what McCANN did next was unprecedented and truly genius. They created a mini-game style app captured the worlds attention and devotion.
A McCANN representative said “Music was great, but it had a limited lifespan. We needed to not just attract people’s attention, but also encourage ongoing engagement”. Create ongoing engagement they did, with the game boasting 67 million downloads, reaching number 1 on iPad charts in 85 countries and most amazingly 5.7 Billion gameplay sessions.
2012 was a time when it could be argued that interest of playing app’s on your phone or iPad was at its very peak. But aside from the glorious timing being a coincidental factor in the song/games success, the core message that was the undertone of the playful campaign was delivered just perfectly. In regards to Jonah Berger’s STEPPS model, all aspects are covered.
Leveraging game mechanics through social currency, a strong association between the brand/message and the media vehicle used as a trigger, Positive/ high arousal which spark real emotions, public social proof and practical value all wrapped up in one perfect little story. Though not all elements of Jonah Berger’s STEPPS need to be addressed for a successful viral marketing campaign, McCANN Erickson were able to do so and it reaped unforeseen benefits, promoting worldwide public transport safety on behalf of Melbourne’s Metro Train’s, while creating a robust relationship between the user and generator of the message.
Jake Herman
Jake's Perspective 
Hey Jake, this is a great analysis of ‘dumb ways to die’ and viral marketing in general. I also mentioned the campaign briefly in my blog entry, but it was great to read your thoughts and links to game mechanics and the use of high arousal. I also appreciate how you have addressed that the campaign didn’t tick off all the components of Berger’s STEPPS framework but still achieved success.
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Hi Hannah, thanks for your feedback. In your opinion, do you think there is one STEPPS aspect which is most important in creating a viral marketing campaign or is it indeed just dumb luck? I’m not sure where I stand on the question as yet.
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Hey Jake,
I believe the fun and quirky looking characters played a major role in just how viral the video clip went. It took something as serious as dying and turned it into a catchy ringtone with some funny looking characters. Other than that, I’d say the STEPPS are just the cherry on top. Specifically regarding “dumb ways to die”, do you think if none of the STEPPS ‘steps’ were addressed, the video would have gone as viral? I think it might have because of just how catchy that song was haha
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Hi Simon,
I think in terms of the song, it certainly would have gone as viral as it did given the unique and quirky characteristics you mentioned. But I think McCANN’s emphasis on creating a relationship between the consumer and the campaign message via the game they created afterwards was heavily oriented with the STEPP’s model and certainly would have been an underpinning focus of their’s throughout the cultivation and launch.
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