Skype's Laughter Chain is Sort of Funny - But It's Not a Viral Til It's a Viral

Skype has created what it hopes will be a viral video to market its free video calls. It's The Laughter Chain, and they want you to join it. While the video definitely has a few funny moments that made me laugh, it's also got canned, fake laughter -- and, well, that's just not funny.

Nonetheless, the idea's cool, and a technological wonder to non-geeks like me. Plug in your webcam, or the built-in camera on your Mac (eat your heart out PC people); watch the Laughter Chain video, as you film yourself watching it. Sign their terms, press send, and your video is sent to Skype for possible addition to the chain video.

Just about nothing that calls itself a viral video actually goes viral, so it remains to be seen what'll happen to The Laughter Chain.

Yeah, nice try. I like the concept as you do too though.

B.L., you coming to blogworldexpo? I need you on a panel!!! Email me if you're coming?

Why would anyone eat my heart out?
I got a built in camera. On PC. Available since a long time. Just telling, no offense meant.

*wonders when Macs became non-Personal Computers*

But yes, it seems that nothing becomes viral that calls itself viral. For what's in a name?

Thank you! I recently had a online discussion about the term viral. Somebody posted a new ad for a
Dutch bank online and because it was funny according to the writer, he called it a viral.

The video had 3 views on Youtube and had only just been launched.

They wouldn't get it through their skulls that a video is not a viral just because you call it that!

We agree - the intent to be viral definitely does not make it viral! We could be wrong but it seems this laughter chain may just fizzle out.

No one knows how this ad crap actually works. Put the awards spiel on repeat whenever anyone mentions ROI or any of those MBA favorites. They can't tell the difference between the know-nothing award-happy associations, so they all give cover.

Roland - i guess the built-in cameras in PCs are new since I switched to Mac. :>)

Nick - I think the laughter chain is fizzling out. it has the heavy hand of a clueless ad agency all over it. real people laughing would be funny. no need for animal sounds, snorting, and other stupid tricks.

Daan - as long as there are agencies, and consultants, who claim to specialize in producing virals, there will be people calling everything they produce a viral. and that still won't make it so.

agentm - i beg to differ: some of us do know how this ad crap works. I agree that there are a lot of award-happy agencies that have the money to keep entering the many high tariff contests most smaller agencies or independents can't afford.