YouTube Greatest Hits = Clever Band Promotion

The video “100 Greatest Hits of YouTube in 4 Minutes” has been out for about 2 months and has turned into an instant viral favorite (3.78 million hits as of today) by featuring super short clips of everyone’s previously favorite viral videos. Almost a no-brainer project that someone had to do sooner or later (and I’m guessing others have actually attempted).

What I found fascinating, when trying to figure out who was behind putting this video together, is that it seems the video actually originated with the band that “provides the soundtrack”: the British band Hadouken!. Or in other words, this doesn’t seem to be a viral video with a random up-beat soundtrack put together as a calling card for an online video editor, but a music video put together to specifically promote a band and their song “M.A.D.” (I’m basing this on the fact that the video is hosted on YouTube by the band’s channel and all the links given are for the band and the song.)

How very clever to think up what would be an extremely successful viral video and then use that idea for your next music video. Is there a better way to promote your band… not to mention: cost-effective?

I was actually surprised I couldn’t find out more about who came up with the strategy or cut together the video since they deserve some credit.

The part that’s confusing with the “clever music video” theory is why they had already put out a completely different video for the same song a month earlier…

… and why the “100 Best…” video isn’t embedded on the Hadouken! MySpace page. Did they get approached by an individual video editor after all, who just wanted to use their music, and they jumped at the opportunity? But then shouldn’t there be some info out there about the creator of the video?

Here, from the original YouTube posting, is the list of video clip sources:

FOAR EVERYWUN FRUM BOXXY
George Bush shoe attack
Zidane headbutt
Sneezing Panda
Inspired Bicycles – Danny MacAskill April 2009
Man Dominates Exercise Ball
Exercise Ball Compilation People Getting Hit owned funny
Boogie Board Faceplant
fat girl on treadmill
keyboard cat
fire baseball
Soccer goalie is hit in head by rebounding ball
Break dance accident
Billy’s Balls 2
OK Go – Here It Goes Again
Treadmill Fail
Extreme Caterpillar Breakdance
Fat Woman Falls off Table
Travis Pastrana Nitro Circus backflip
Monkey Business: Monkeys as waiters in japan
Christian the Lion- Reunion!
Rick Astley – Never Gonna Give You Up
Amateur – Lasse Gjertsen
stealth cat
Dramatic Chipmunk
Bizkit the Sleepwalking Running Dog
close landing
waterslide jump
MEGAWOOSH – Bruno Kammerl jumps
Diet Coke + Mentos
star wars kid
backflip fail
afro ninja
Guys backflip into jeans
Jumping From 50 Meters High To Water.
Diving Fail
Will It Blend? – iPhone3G
Guiness World Record for most T-Shirts worn at one time.
Shoes the full version
Fat Kid Falls in River
Nattliv – Swedish hostess throws up on live TV!
hey marine
david after dentist
leave britney spears alone
Best Sex Ever
charlie bit my finger
Laughing Baby
Kassie Kicks Monsters Ass
Victory Fail
balcony jump failed
Boxer Hits Himself In The Face
leeroy jenkins
Jumpstyle duo by Jumpforce
Beyonce Single Ladies Dance
breakdancing baby
Tokyo Dance Trooper in Shibuya
break dance
Ridiculously Hot LATINA girl dancing, not asian!
Susan boyle
Hardstyle Republic
dubstep dance
the evolution of dance
Barack Obama on Ellen
Crush On Obama
Where the hell is matt?
“Thriller” (original upload)