This is a compelling dramatisation of third world people voicing their problems, which aren’t their problems at all, but ironically, just happen to be first word problems as you and I know them – and it is in this irony, that the power of this particular viral video lies.

This very creative production was posted by charity, waterislife.com. A foundation that helps third world countries gain access to clean and hygienic water. This they do by taking donations and channelling them toward providing tools and services that aid the access to water for those who do not have it. This thought-provoking video gets you counting all the little ‘problems’ we tend to complain about and forget that there are people out there who lack the basics we take for granted, such as clean drinking water.

This is a masterpiece in compelling advertising, and really gets the emotion of guilt stimulated and charged towards pulling out that credit card and making a donation. Check it out:

Let’s look at the numbers. A day after the video was posted, a massive 370, 377 views where achieved from mobile devices, then two days later, another 24, 142 views were gained through Facebook referrals. Today, 9 days after being posted, the video has had 1, 106, 328 views - very impressive given its serious and somewhat unentertaining nature. This goes to show that the sentiment invoked by the video is one that resonates with thousands of people, and its viral status is evidence of how great this piece of production really is.

In my opinion, the key to getting any form of attention on YouTube is to captivate the viewer to a point where they feel compelled to follow your call to action - if there is one – and even more importantly, to share your content with friends and/or colleagues. Waterislife.com has really nailed it here. For a brand that is run on donated funds, it’s a great example of how creativity and the effective use of free channels can help organisations - especially those with limited funding - achieve immensely successful marketing goals. The promotion of charity can be tough, and ensuring the success of an initiative of this nature is a rare skill; a skill which waterislife.com wields with authority.