The Aussies Keep Producing Soccer Viral Hits...
Monday, May 4, 2009 at 08:24PM 
Are you looking to create captivating viral campaigns to promote an upcoming match? Are you looking to offer original, entertaining content to fans?
Over the past few months, the Football Federation Australia (FFA) has generated a tremendous amount of online buzz with the creation of some fictional soccer viral pieces that tout their upcoming opponents. The FFA's first viral feature profiled what-appeared-to-be the Uzbekistan soccer club being subject to extreme training methods to get consumers across Australia interested in the match.
The FFA recently released a second soccer viral piece - this time showcasing what-appears-to-be the amazing skills of a Bahrainian goalkeeper. The piece does a tremendous job showcasing how product placement can be woven into viral marketing (it is with hope that the FFA had worked out an agreement with Land Rover to prominently feature one of its vehicles in the ad). Check out the clip below:
Ticketek, Australia and New Zealand's largest sports and entertainment ticketing company, recently capitalized on the soccer viral craze in Australia by creating a viral feature of their own. Ticketek created a piece that showcases the Japan soccer team displaying heroic skills in Japanese television show format. The piece was created by Ticketek in an effort to drive ticket sales for the upcoming June 17th World Cup Qualifier match between Japan and Australia. The feature is another great example of a soccer viral piece - check it out below:
A special thanks to Alex Vitanye of the Ohio Center for Sports Administration for his contributions and insights to this column.