Rise Of Sharing Culture Examined In New PBS Video

A new video created by PBS Arts: Off Book delves into the world of viral videos and social video advertising.

Starring Jonah Peretti (BuzzFeed), Kevin Allocca (YouTube), Brad Kim (Know Your Meme), Dan Gurewitch (College Humor) and Michael Learmonth (Advertising Age), it looks at how viral culture has revolutionised advertising and the way we communicate online.

It's what Peretti and Allocca call 'the rise in sharing culture'. They say, "We are entering an exciting new era in media is which you don't just serve your own needs, it's about finding things for your friends or people in your life.

"The web is maturing and social signals are becoming a bigger part of our lives."

The result is a higher bar for content creators and brands hoping to catch the attention of web users.

As Learmonth, of AdAge, says, "This is about brands making content that people really want to watch. It's really a revolutionary notion. I actually believe we are in a YouTube creative renaissance of content at the moment." 

Here at Meme Machine and Unruly, we heartily agree. We are very lucky to have been a part of some of the game-changing campaigns, such as Old Spice's Man Your Man Could Smell Like and T'Mobile's Life's For Sharing, which both feature in the video.

Oh, and sprinkled throughout the eight-minute clip you’ll find delicious nuggets of videos we all know and love, as well as, perhaps, a few you’ve never seen before.

Enjoy!