Viral marketing example - Burger King

Burger King is one of successful hamburger fast food restaurants. It has employed varied advertising programs. One of them was to create a series new characters like the Subservient Chicken featured in a series of viral web-based advertisements on sites such as MySpace (http://www.subservientchicken.com/) and its corporate pages to compliment the various television and print promotional campaigns.

BK's early success in the field was overshadowed by a 1982 deal between McDonald's and the Walt Disney Company to promote Disney's animated films beginning in the mid 1980s and running through the early 1990s. In 1994 Disney switched from McDonald's to Burger King, signing a ten film promotional contractwith BK which would include such top ten films as Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and Toy Story. A partnership in association with the Pokemon franchise at the height of its popularity in 1999 was one of the most successful in the industry, rivaled only by McDonald's/Ty Beanie Babies cross-promotion in 1999–2000.

BK was also a pioneer in the advertising practice known as the product tie-in with a successful partnering with George Lucas' Lucasfilm, Ltd. to promote the 1977 film Satr Wars (later renamed Star Wars EpisodeIV: A New Hope in which BK sold a set of glasses featuring the main characters from the film. This promotion was one of the first in the fast food industry and set the pattern that continues to the present.

One of the more unique promotions was the creation of a series of three advergames for the Xbox 360. Featuring company celebrity spokesman Brooke Burke, the games sold more than 2 million copies, placing them as one of the top selling games along with another Xbox 360 hit, Gears of War. These innovative ad campaigns, coupled with other new promotions and a series of new product introductions, drew considerable positive and negative attention to BK and helped TPG.

Viral marketing example - Micheal Jackson

Michael Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer and businessman. He was referred to as the King of Pop. His popularity in all over the world was contributed by viral marketing that increases his exposure to people around the world.