11.17.09 - 11:00AM
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Urlesque Staff

Best Viral Campaign of the Year -- 2009 Urlies

2009 Urlies MEME | VIRAL VIDEO | REMIX | PHOTOBOMB/PHOTOSHOP | SINGLE-TOPIC BLOG | BEST BUYS | TWITTER TREND | COOLEST KID | VIRAL CAMPAIGN | WORST OF '09 | SITE | BLOGGER'S CHOICE | LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT | SEE ALL WINNERS

It's pretty tough to impress the Internet. We've simply seen it all -- from impossible-to-believe viral videos to Web sites that become must-visits. So when marketers come a-knockin' with "viral" videos (that they themselves have created and are in no way being passed around), it's easy to see why Web dwellers remain skeptical. But once in a while, an agency will create a clever campaign that truly gets us talking. And then an angel gets its wings.

And the nominees for Best Viral Campaign of 2009 are ...

Best Blogging Job

Can We Move Urlesque HQ to Australia?

Want to get paid to blog about living on one of the most beautiful islands in the world? This year's "Best Blogging Job in the World" ad gave all wannabe bloggers a chance to apply to live rent-free on Australia's Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef, make $150,000, act as the "island caretaker," and blog about their experiences for six months. Obviously, this marketing stunt drew tons of applications and became one of 2009's most successful online marketing stunts. Don't forget to check in with the winner.

The Fun Theory

A Viral Ad We Actually Like

A viral ad we actually like? Quite rare. But Volkswagen's "Fun Theory" campaign first made the daily grudgefest involved with walking up stairs quite enjoyable with a 'Big'-esque tribute to exercise. Then they applied their "fun theory" to recycling with something they call the "Bottle Bank Arcade." Can we get them to do something about annoying pop-up ads?

Geico Viral Videos

Gecko Appears in Popular Web Videos

By now, the Geico gecko has forced himself into our consciousness using everything from a posh foreign accent, strange yet amusing TV ads and now, just for those of us who worship at the alter of viral video, YouTube. An ad featuring Numa Numa kid (aka Gary Brolsma) with a strange, green creature dancing in the background tipped us off to the Gecko's YouTube presence and soon we noticed that he was everywhere -- from the Evolution of Dance to, yes, even the Otters Holding Hands!

"Mad Men" Yourself

Make Your Own Avatars Spread Like Wildfire

This summer, in anticipation of the premiere of the third season of the popular drama "Mad Men," AMC launched Mad Men Yourself, in which users could make animated '60s avatars in their likenesses, featuring character illustrations by Dyna Moe. Pick out a suit, light a cigarette, slick back your hair, and download the result as a Twitter icon or desktop wallpaper. Soon, the Mad Men'd alter egos hit across all social networking sites, acting as ironic throwback icons for those of us trapped in the online world.

Skittles' New Homepage

Candy Uses Twitter in a New Way

In early May, Skittles marketing geniuses came up with an idea to use popular social media sites such as Twitter to get word out about, well, Skittles. In fact, Skittles.com was taken over by a giant Twitter search feed (now, Facebook) for the word Skittles. All you had to do was add a hash tag, or simply include the magic word to any tweet and you'd appear on Skittles.com. Did it work for them? Sure, along with the obscenity-laced Skittles tweets that graced the feed, there was a genuine Skittles frenzy -- giving the rainbow-flavored candy a quick Internet moment in the sun.

All 2009 Urlies Winners