Ever heard of the Central Institute of Technology out of Perth, Australia? Neither had I, but the school is certainly on my radar now. Most schools and companies put out ads that end with G-rated punch lines. In Central’s, the punch line is human dismemberment.
But it’s really funny! And thankfully I’m not the only one who thinks so (I was getting worried). The ad has been online for just over a week, but already it has a million and a half views on YouTube and far more likes than dislikes. The numbers dwindle those of anything else put online by the school.
For that it can thank comedy duo Henry & Aaron, who wrote and directed the piece—presumably with a lot of creative control. Now, one has to wonder: If this type of shock humour is an effective way to go viral, should more mainstream organizations embrace it? Or is it damaging to the brand? Below is the ad—what do you think?
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Blogs & Comment
College ad goes viral with humour and… extreme gore
A new Internet ad for an Australian technical institute used dark and shocking humour to get attention, and it worked.
By Trevor Melanson
Ever heard of the Central Institute of Technology out of Perth, Australia? Neither had I, but the school is certainly on my radar now. Most schools and companies put out ads that end with G-rated punch lines. In Central’s, the punch line is human dismemberment.
But it’s really funny! And thankfully I’m not the only one who thinks so (I was getting worried). The ad has been online for just over a week, but already it has a million and a half views on YouTube and far more likes than dislikes. The numbers dwindle those of anything else put online by the school.
For that it can thank comedy duo Henry & Aaron, who wrote and directed the piece—presumably with a lot of creative control. Now, one has to wonder: If this type of shock humour is an effective way to go viral, should more mainstream organizations embrace it? Or is it damaging to the brand? Below is the ad—what do you think?
WARNING: It gets pretty graphic.