It appears a new McDonald's ad has -- to use a phrase that causes many marketers to cringe -- gone viral. The ad features a Big Mouth Billy Bass (hanging in a wood-paneled garage, of course) that breaks out into an original ditty titled "Gimme back that Filet-O-Fish!"
The ad has received more than 300,000 YouTube views in only two weeks. Chris Edwards, EVP and group creative director at Arnold, the agency behind the ad, attributes the commercial's success to the casting and music. (Indeed, apparently the song is so catchy that it's taken on another life in deejay remixes and cellphone ringtones.)
Personally, I'm not especially tickled by the ad. It's amusing. But in my opinion, it's not 300,000 views amusing. But obviously plenty of people beg to differ with me -- so good for McDonald's. And good for its agency. And good for the Filet-O-Fish. And good for Mr. Billy Bass.
My main question is this: What possessed the marketers behind the campaign to bring back our big-mouthed friend? Was it that time already? Has a toy that reached its height of annoying popularity as recently as 2001 already achieved retro-cool status? That kind of "it's funny because we once thought it was funny" fame?
(On a tangential note: Domino's Pizza, if you're out there, please, please bring back The Noid.)
