Viral movie in politics

Next week there are elections in The Netherlands for the provincial boards. Usually these elections are used in order to approve or burn the national government. And as there is a new government since a week, it is generally expected that these elections will be a test for the new government.

As the elections for the provincial boards are not really exciting, means will have to be sought to be noted. One of the parties, the Socialist Party (SP), is using a viral movie. The party has been using internet already for long. The political leader Jan Marijnissen was one of the first ones to write blogs personally and have video logs produced. Now the party is using a personalised viral movie and with success.

Last year the party introduced the viral movie during the municipal board elections as a political first. The movie was spread around and seen by more than 100.000 visitors in one week. But the latest version has been viewed already more than 500.000 times in three days after its launch. And it is funny. As it is visual with no spoken text, it is international.

The three movies have been interesting and funny. In the first of the series Jan Marijnissen was going to the citizen to offer the local municipal party programme. The name and the location were used in the movie. In the second movie, used for the national elections, the SP Leader was filmed going on campaign; however he got stuck and asked people to SMS him. But the third one is really funny if you look from the point of communication. The leader is thinking about the campaign and all the communication tools available. In the end he does not choose for internet, nor for television, but simply for bill boards.

As the name and the address are being used again, the movie is personal and at the end referring the viewer to the provincial party programme. So viewers see their name and get referred to their local situation. It is the closest way to get a one-to-one communications safe from face-to-face. And a success it is: within 72 hours the movie had been sent on. It is a record for a Dutch viral movie.

















You can try it our yourself at /www.houjannietvoorjezelf.nl. Do not be scared off by the Dutch language. Just fill in your first name at Jouw voornaam (see screen above) and your e-mail address at Jouw e-mail (see screen above). Having done so click on Verstuur (see screen above) and you will get to see the movie with your name in it.

The concepting for this movie was done by Thonik and Mr Niko Koffeman, while the execution was in the hands of Thonik, Snoep Films and Thisismint.

Blog NPosting Number: 776

Tags: politics, viral movie