The Internet has opened up a whole new world of advertising opportunities for companies. But grabbing the attention and focus of your typical Web user is a little more involved than other, more traditional mediums such as print and television. Enter viral marketing of which Will It Blend? is one of the chief architects.

Viral marketing can take many forms, from releasing intriguing adverts which has the world talking, to making videos which will be passed on and embedded in multiple places. If done correctly, viral marketing isn’t regarded with the contempt or ambiguity experienced by other forms of intrusive advertising.

The Will It Blend? series of videos is a prime example of some genius viral marketing at work. If you haven’t had the pleasure, which is very unlikely if you’ve been on the Internet for more than a few weeks, Will It Blend? is in essence nothing more than video ads for the Blendtec brand of food blenders.

The infomercial-like video ads are presented by Tom Dickson, the founder of Blendtec. Dickson basically demonstrates the power of his range of blenders by blending gadgets and household products that shouldn’t really be blended. The videos have attracted over a hundred million viewers and turned Tom Dickson into a celebrity. More importantly, they have helped make Blendtec a household name.

And now, Will It Blend? is coming to the iPhone and iPod Touch. According to TUAW, a new app available via iTunes for just $1.99 lets you watch the top 20 episodes of Will It Blend?. These include an iPhone itself being fed into a blender, along with glowsticks, an iPod, and Chuck Norris.

Here is the iPhone 3G being blended in glorious Technicolor courtesy of YouTube.

Whether you like the Will It Blend? videos or not, and honestly, how could you not, the series is one of the greatest Internet memes ever created. And Tom Dickson is a genius. It sure as hell beats Victor Kiam describing how he liked Remington so much he bought the company.

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Entry was posted on Sunday, December 28th, 2008 at 6:35 pm under Internet, Opinion, Technology.

Read more entries by Dave Parrack.
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