The effects of imitation: the long tail of viral spoofs

Using the example of the Sony BRAVIA 'Balls' commercial, this paper discusses the value and effects of consumer-generated spoof versions of viral films.
The Effects of Imitation

The Effects of Imitation: The Long Tail of Viral Spoofs

Mark Sinnock Fallon

The Sony team at Fallon recently sent me a link to another spoof of the Sony BRAVIA 'Balls' advert that they had bumped into online (the one where hundreds of thousands of balls bounce down a San Franciscan hill). At first, I thought little of it. Ever since we produced the spot for Sony, there has been a constant stream of cover versions floating around in the mixed-up media world we inhabit. The consensus within the team, and...

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