5 Viral Commercials Explained: Why They Worked & Others Failed

This commercial has 2.1 billion views. Another one has over 100 million. How did they do it? Was it just a huge budget, or is there a specific formula for virality?

In this episode, I break down 5 legendary viral commercials to understand how brands keep audience attention. We analyze the creative strategies behind Doritos, Honda, Volvo, and others to see what works and what gets skipped.

We also look at a "failed" attempt to repeat success to understand why visual perfection isn't always enough.

🔥 Need a high-end commercial for your brand? Let’s talk:
👉 https://www.lavamedia.us/tv-commercial

📚 Read the full article with all video examples here:
https://www.lavamedia.us/blog/the-sci...

In this video, we cover:

The "Opposites" formula that got Doritos 2.1B views.
How a 2-minute Honda ad keeps you watching till the end.
The secrets behind Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Epic Split.
Why Comedy Direct Response works for sales (William Painter).
Why a technically perfect Volvo ad failed to go viral.

Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro: 2.1 Billion views?
0:36 - Doritos: The "Anti-Commercial" Formula
2:23 - Honda: How to hold attention for 2 minutes (ASMR trick)
4:18 - William Painter: Comedy Direct Response explained
5:40 - Volvo: The truth about the Epic Split
6:44 - Failure Analysis: Why the other Volvo ad flopped
7:46 - Mobile Strike: Using celebrities correctly

About Lava Media:
I’m Sergey Rodin, founder of Lava Media. We specialize in creative TV commercials and video production. We know exactly how to tell a brand story that engages. Check out our portfolio: https://www.lavamedia.us/portfolio