Editing List of Internet phenomena (section)

==Advertising and products==
{{See also|List of viral music videos#Ads and campaigns}}
[[File:Zdjęcie Kerfusia (crop).jpg|thumb|Picture of Kerfuś, mascot of [[Carrefour]], that became viral with Polish internet users in 2022]]
* [[Amazon Coat]] – an unnamed coat sold on the [[Online shopping|online store]] [[Amazon.com]] by the Chinese clothing brand Orolay, previously known for its [[Furniture|home furnishings]]. It became a [[viral phenomenon]] from the period between December 2018 and the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jennings |first=Rebecca |date=25 February 2019 |title=How a coat on Amazon took over a neighborhood — and then the internet |url=https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/2/25/18233597/orolay-amazon-coat-upper-east-side |access-date=2023-03-20 |website=Vox |language=en |archive-date=2 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230302101402/https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/2/25/18233597/orolay-amazon-coat-upper-east-side |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Beanie Babies]] – Cited as being the world's first Internet sensation in 1995.<ref name="beanies">{{cite book|last=Bissonnette|first=Zac|date=March 2015|title=The Great Beanie Baby Bubble: Mass Delusion and the Dark Side of Cute|publisher=Penguin Books|chapter=The $12-per-hour Sociology Major Who Made Ty Warner a Billionaire| pages=107–121|isbn=978-1591846024}}</ref>
* [[Cerveza Cristal]] – A Chilean beer company that produced a series of advertisements during a [[Star Wars original trilogy|''Star Wars'' original trilogy]] broadcast in 2003. The commercials, titled ''[[The Force is with Cristal Beer]]'', would air seamlessly with the scenes in the trilogy, such as a pair of hands like Obi Wan's opening a chest, revealing the beer. The advertisements were critically acclaimed in the country and became internationally viral on Twitter in March 2024.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Darney |first1=Caroline |title=The hilarious Cerveza Cristal meme that's taken over Twitter, explained |url=https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/cerveza-cristal-memes-explained-star-wars-movies |access-date=6 March 2024 |work=For The Win |date=5 March 2024}}</ref>
* [[Cooks Source infringement controversy|''Cooks Source'' infringement controversy]] – This publication drew backlash after it committed copyright infringement by using an online article without permission for commercial purposes. This backlash further increased due to ''Cooks Source''<nowiki/>'s response which showed a misunderstanding of copyright and an increasing agitation to the original writer of the article.<ref name="Kravets_David">{{cite news |last=Kravets |first=David |date=5 November 2010 |title=Cooks Source Copyright Infringement Becomes an Internet Meme. |newspaper=Wired |url=https://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/11/web-decries-infringement/ |url-status=live |access-date=1 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101106115203/https://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/11/web-decries-infringement/ |archive-date=2010-11-06}}</ref>
* ''[[Elf Yourself]]'' (2006) and ''Scrooge Yourself'' (2007) – [[Human–computer interaction|Interactive]] websites created by [[Jason Zada]] and Evolution Bureau for [[OfficeMax]]'s [[holiday season]] [[advertising campaign]]. ''Elf Yourself'' allows visitors to [[upload]] images of themselves or their friends, see them as dancing [[elf|elves]],<ref name=Bostonist>{{cite news|last=Roberts |first=Caroline |title=Go Elf Yourself! |url=http://bostonist.com/2006/12/24/go_elf_yourself.php |access-date=29 May 2012 |newspaper=[[Bostonist]] |date=24 December 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151103170955/http://bostonist.com/2006/12/24/go_elf_yourself.php |archive-date=3 November 2015 }}</ref><ref name="Creativity">{{cite news|last=Aditham|first=Kiran|title=Jason Zada Leaves EVB|url=http://creativity-online.com/news/jason-zada-leaves-evb/130544|access-date=29 May 2012|newspaper=[[Creativity (magazine)|Creativity Magazine]]|date=26 August 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017064513/http://creativity-online.com/news/jason-zada-leaves-evb/130544|archive-date=17 October 2013}}</ref> and includes options to save or share the video.<ref name="Adland">{{cite book|last=Othmer|first=James P.|title=Adland |year=2009|publisher=Random House Digital, Inc.|volume=48, Developments in biological standardization|isbn=978-0385524964|pages=243–250|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mxlqaqRhUvwC&q=%22Elf+Yourself%22&pg=PA247|access-date=2013-07-10}}</ref> According to ClickZ, visiting the ''Elf Yourself'' site "has become an annual tradition that people look forward to".<ref name="ClickZ 2">{{cite news|last=Quenqua|first=Douglas|title=OfficeMax Adds Social Element to Elf Yourself 2009|url=http://www.clickz.com/clickz/news/1692028/officemax-adds-social-element-elf-yourself-2009|access-date=30 May 2012|newspaper=ClickZ|date=19 November 2009|archive-date=7 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160107060751/https://www.clickz.com/clickz/news/1692028/officemax-adds-social-element-elf-yourself-2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> While not selling any one specific product, the two were created to raise consumer awareness of the sponsoring firm.<ref name="Social Media Judo">{{cite book|first1=Chris | last1=Aarons |first2=Geoff | last2=Nelson | first3=Nick | last3=White |title=Social Media Judo|year=2011|publisher=Dog Ear Publishing|isbn=978-1608448852|pages=146–156|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G8Id2LayAOAC&q=%22Elf+Yourself%22&pg=PA147}}</ref>
* [[Flex Tape]] – An infomercial of the product Flex Tape. It became a meme after YouTuber [[JonTron]] made a video reviewing the infomercial.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Matos |first1=Clinton |title=Phil Swift returns to butcher another boat in the name of Flex Tape |url=https://htxt.co.za/2018/05/phil-swift-returns-to-butcher-another-boat-in-the-name-of-flex-tape/ |access-date=10 April 2021 |work=Htxt |date=17 May 2018 |archive-date=10 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410164327/https://htxt.co.za/2018/05/phil-swift-returns-to-butcher-another-boat-in-the-name-of-flex-tape/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[FreeCreditReport.com]] – A series of TV commercials that were posted on the Internet; many spoofs of the commercials were made and posted on YouTube.<ref name="Popkin_AS">{{cite news|last=Popkin|first=Helen A. S.|title=Sing it, FreeCreditReport.com guy!|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/26061279|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231224026/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/26061279/|url-status=dead|archive-date=31 December 2014|access-date=1 April 2011|work=NBC News|date=7 August 2008}}</ref>
* [[HeadOn]] – A June 2006 advertisement for a [[homeopathy|homeopathic]] product claimed to relieve headaches. Ads featured the tagline, "HeadOn. Apply directly to the forehead", stated three times in succession, accompanied by a video of a [[spokesperson|model]] using the product without ever directly stating the product's purpose. The ads were successively parodied on sites such as YouTube and [[rap]]per [[Lil Jon]] even made fun of it.<ref name="HeadOn">{{cite news|last=Howard|first=Theresa|title=Headache commercial hits parody circuit, well, HeadOn|url=https://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/drugs/2006-07-30-head-on-usat_x.htm|access-date=24 March 2011|newspaper=USA Today|date=31 July 2006|archive-date=17 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317140727/http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/drugs/2006-07-30-head-on-usat_x.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Kerfuś]] – A robot with cat face use as a mascot for [[Carrefour]]. The robot became viral in Poland in 2022, where Kerfuś became the main character of many memes and [[rule 34|erotic pictures]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://noizz.pl/nauka-i-technologia/kerfus-krolem-polski-i-zbawca-swiata-robot-z-supermarketu-stal-sie-fenomenem/t5bfpf6?srcc=undefined|language=pl|title=Kerfuś królem Polski i zbawcą świata. Robot z supermarketu stał się fenomenem|date=25 October 2022|website=noizz.pl|author=Stanisław Bryś |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231004011306/https://noizz.pl/nauka-i-technologia/kerfus-krolem-polski-i-zbawca-swiata-robot-z-supermarketu-stal-sie-fenomenem/t5bfpf6 |archive-date=4 October 2023 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Kerfuś - gwiazda memów będzie w Krośnie |url=https://www.krosno112.pl/artykul/15581,kerfus-gwiazda-memow-bedzie-w-krosnie |website=krosno112 |language=pl |date=12 January 2023}}</ref>
* [[The Force (advertisement)|Little Darth Vader]] – An advertisement by [[Volkswagen]] featuring young [[Max Page (actor)|Max Page]] dressed in a [[Darth Vader]] costume running around his house trying to use "[[the Force]]". It was released on the Internet a few days prior to [[Super Bowl XLV]] in 2011, and quickly became popular.<ref name="Darth_Vader_Superbowl">{{cite news|last=Belsie|first=Laurent|title=Darth Vader Super Bowl commercial: What happens to child stars in ads?|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2011/0207/Darth-Vader-Super-Bowl-commercial-What-happens-to-child-stars-in-ads/Max-Page-VW-Passat-2011|access-date=25 March 2011|newspaper=The Christian Science Monitor|date=7 February 2011|archive-date=19 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519033059/https://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2011/0207/Darth-Vader-Super-Bowl-commercial-What-happens-to-child-stars-in-ads/Max-Page-VW-Passat-2011|url-status=live}}</ref> As of 2013 it was the most shared ad of all time.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/super-bowl-xlvii-an-event-of-epic-proportions-0ap1000000131115|title=Super Bowl XLVII: An Event of Epic Proportions|work=[[National Football League]]|date=25 January 2013|access-date=25 January 2013}}</ref>
* [[LowerMyBills.com]] – [[Banner ad]]s from this mortgage company feature endless loops of cowboys, women, aliens, and office workers dancing.<ref name="Stone_Brad">{{cite news|last=Stone|first=Brad|title=Don't Like the Dancing Cowboys? Results Say You Do|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/18/business/media/18adco.html|access-date=1 April 2011|newspaper=The New York Times|date=18 January 2007|archive-date=19 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519033142/https://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/18/business/media/18adco.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Gomes_Lee">{{cite news|last=Gomes|first=Lee|title=As Web Ads Grow, Sites Get Trickier About Targeting You|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB117866952685696562|access-date=1 April 2011|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=9 May 2007|archive-date=19 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519033059/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB117866952685696562|url-status=live}}</ref>
* ''[[The Man Your Man Could Smell Like]]'' – A television commercial starring [[Isaiah Mustafa]] reciting a quick, [[deadpan]] monologue while shirtless about how "anything is possible" if men use [[Old Spice]]. It eventually led to a popular [[viral marketing]] campaign which had Mustafa responding to various Internet [[YouTube#User comments|comments]] in short YouTube videos on [[Old Spice]]'s YouTube channel.<ref name="Saint_Nick">{{cite news|last=Saint|first=Nick|title=How "Old Spice Guy" Took The Internet By Storm|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/old-spice-guy-2010-7|access-date=1 April 2011|newspaper=Business Insider|date=16 July 2010|archive-date=19 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519033100/https://www.businessinsider.com/old-spice-guy-2010-7|url-status=live}}</ref>
* "[[Mac Tonight|Mac Tonight/Moon Man]]" – A McDonald's commercial made to promote dinner sales. Starting in 2007, the character in the commercial, "Mac Tonight" was used in videos where he is depicted promoting violence against minorities and promoting the [[Ku Klux Klan|KKK]] with racist parodies of rap songs. The best-known parody, "Notorious KKK" (a parody of ''[[Hypnotize (The Notorious B.I.G. song)|Hypnotize]]'' by [[The Notorious B.I.G.]]), has accumulated over 119,000 views on YTMND.<ref name=salon>{{cite news|url=http://www.salon.com/2016/10/25/meet-moon-man-the-alt-rights-new-racist-rap-sensation-borrowed-from-1980s-mcdonalds-ads/|title=Meet Moon Man: The alt-right's racist rap sensation, borrowed from 1980s McDonald's ads|first=Matthew|last=Sheffield|work=Salon|date=25 October 2016|access-date=27 February 2018|archive-date=29 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190129183009/https://www.salon.com/2016/10/25/meet-moon-man-the-alt-rights-new-racist-rap-sensation-borrowed-from-1980s-mcdonalds-ads/|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Nicole Kidman 2 (29900987478).jpg|thumb|right|150px|[[Nicole Kidman]] starred in a 2021 [[AMC Theatres]] [[Nicole Kidman AMC Theatres commercial|commercial]] that went viral thanks to its grand style and the melodrama of Kidman's monologue.]]
* [[Nicole Kidman AMC Theatres commercial]] – In September 2021, [[AMC Theatres]] began airing a commercial starring actress [[Nicole Kidman]] in its theaters and on television. The ad, written by screenwriter [[Billy Ray (screenwriter)|Billy Ray]], was intended to spur theater attendance following the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] by highlighting the "magic" of the movie theater experience. The commercial's grand style and the earnest melodrama of Kidman's monologue has led the commercial to be appreciated as an artifact of [[camp (style)|camp]]. The commercial has been the subject of [[internet memes]], parodies, merchandise, and [[audience participation]] rituals.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kring-Schreifels |first=Jake |date=23 March 2022 |title=How the Magic of Nicole Kidman's Beloved AMC Commercial Was Made |url=https://www.gq.com/story/nicole-kidman-amc-commercial-making-of |website=[[GQ]] |access-date=12 March 2024 |archive-date=26 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220626171822/https://www.gq.com/story/nicole-kidman-amc-commercial-making-of |url-status=live }}</ref>
* "[[Chuck Testa|Nope, Chuck Testa]]" – A local commercial made for Ojai Valley [[Taxidermy]], owned by [[Chuck Testa]], suggesting that the stuffed creatures were alive until Testa appeared, saying "Nope, Chuck Testa!"; the ad soon went viral. The commercial was created by [[Rhett & Link]] for their show Rhett & Link: Commercial Kings.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/entertainment/a/-/television/12484414/ad-men-thrive-on-chuck-take/ | title = Ad men thrive on Chuck take | work = [[The West Australian]] | first = Shannon | last = Harvey | date = 3 January 2012 | access-date = 22 August 2012 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20120707152437/http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/entertainment/a/-/television/12484414/ad-men-thrive-on-chuck-take/ | archive-date = 7 July 2012 | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.cbsnews.com/news/no-chuck-testa-thank-you/ | title = No, Chuck Testa, thank you | first = Bailey | last = Johnson | date = 20 September 2011 | access-date =22 August 2012 | publisher = [[CBS]]}}</ref>
* [[Potato Parcel]] – a web site that allows the user to send anonymous personalized messages on potatoes via the mail.<ref name="Koman 2015">{{cite web|first1=Tess|last1=Koman|url=http://www.cosmopolitan.com/lifestyle/news/a41713/potato-parceling-is-the-new-glitter-bombing/|title=Would You Send Your Enemies a Potato With a Mean Message?|work=[[Cosmopolitan (magazine)|Cosmopolitan]]|publisher=[[Hearst (media)|Hearst]]|date=9 June 2015|access-date=12 August 2016|archive-date=3 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211103034548/https://www.cosmopolitan.com/lifestyle/news/a41713/potato-parceling-is-the-new-glitter-bombing/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Robertson 2015">{{cite web|first1=Lindsey|last1=Robertson|url=http://mashable.com/2015/08/18/potato-in-the-mail/|title=Who knew mailing personalized potatoes could rake in so much cash?|work=[[Mashable]]|publisher=Mashable.com|date=18 August 2015|access-date=12 August 2016|archive-date=19 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210419170504/https://mashable.com/2015/08/18/potato-in-the-mail/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Whitten1 2015">{{cite web|first1=Sarah|last1=Whitten|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2015/08/19/this-guy-makes-10000-a-month-shipping-potatoes.html|title=This guy makes $10,000 a month shipping potatoes|work=[[CNBC]]|publisher=CNBC LLC.|date=19 August 2015|access-date=12 August 2016|archive-date=23 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323163449/https://www.cnbc.com/2015/08/19/this-guy-makes-10000-a-month-shipping-potatoes.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
* ''[[Pepsi MAX & Jeff Gordon Present: Test Drive]]'' – A short film where [[NASCAR]] driver [[Jeff Gordon]] poses as an average car buyer to prank a cars salesman.<ref>{{cite news|last=Plemmons|first=Mark|url=http://www.hickoryrecord.com/independent_tribune/news/article_0671f852-8b41-11e2-8320-0019bb30f31a.html?mode=jqm|title=Jeff Gordon Pepsi Max test drive video shot in Concord goes viral|newspaper=[[Independent Tribune]]|access-date=7 September 2013|archive-date=19 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220319203007/https://hickoryrecord.com/independent_tribune/news/article_0671f852-8b41-11e2-8320-0019bb30f31a.html?mode=jqm|url-status=live}}</ref> A sequel, ''Test Drive 2'', was released the following year, with Gordon pranking a writer who had branded the original video as fake.<ref>{{cite web|last=Pennell|first=Jay|url=http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/shake-and-bake/2014/02/27/test-drive-2-jeff-gordon-takes-reporter-for-wild-ride|title=Test drive 2: Jeff Gordon takes reporter for wild ride|work=[[Foxsports.com]]|date=27 February 2014|access-date=27 February 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227155849/http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/shake-and-bake/2014/02/27/test-drive-2-jeff-gordon-takes-reporter-for-wild-ride|archive-date=27 February 2014}}</ref>
* [[EBGames#Internet meme|"Rivals"]] – A commercial for video game retailer [[EB Games]] that promoted ''[[Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare]]''. The commercial drew criticism for its concept and the performances of its actors.<ref>{{cite news |last=Suprak |first=Nikola |date=21 December 2014 |title=EB Games' Rivals Commercial is a Thing of Terrible Beauty |url=http://www.hardcoregamer.com/2014/12/21/eb-games-rivals-commercial-is-a-thing-of-terrible-beauty/124983/ |publisher=Hardcore Gamer |access-date=20 July 2016 |archive-date=9 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160809200604/http://www.hardcoregamer.com/2014/12/21/eb-games-rivals-commercial-is-a-thing-of-terrible-beauty/124983/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Shake Weight.jpg|thumb|right|[[Shake Weight|The Shake Weight]]]]
* [[Shake Weight]] – [[Infomercial]] clips of the modified [[dumbbell]] went viral as a result of the product's sexually suggestive nature.<ref name="Roberts_Tom">{{cite news|last=Roberts|first=Tom|title=Viral Video Chart: Mattress dominoes and the weirdest divorce hearing ever|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/pda/2009/aug/07/mattress-dominoes-viral-video-chart|access-date=1 April 2011|newspaper=The Guardian|date=7 August 2009|archive-date=19 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519033107/https://www.theguardian.com/media/pda/2009/aug/07/mattress-dominoes-viral-video-chart|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Vans]] (2016) – Featured in the "[[Damn Daniel]]" viral internet meme.
*''What Would You Do for a Klondike Bar?'' – A slogan at the end of commercials advertising the ice cream sandwich [[Klondike bar]]. People on YouTube and Facebook began posting videos depicting people in dangerous and absurdist situations attempting to reach a Klondike Bar in response to the slogan.<ref>{{cite web |title=What Would You Do For A Klondike Bar? |url=https://www.warc.com/content/paywall/article/what-would-you-do-for-a-klondike-bar/129406 |website=Warc |access-date=13 April 2021 |archive-date=14 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414013702/https://www.warc.com/content/paywall/article/what-would-you-do-for-a-klondike-bar/129406 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Whopper Whopper]] – A song by American restaurant fast-food chain [[Burger King]] which serves as a jingle for the restaurant's signature burger, the [[Whopper]]<ref>{{cite news | url = https://nypost.com/2023/01/26/burger-king-whopper-songs-catchy-lyrics-now-a-viral-meme/ | title = New York Post | date = 26 January 2023 | access-date = 19 May 2023 | first = Jack | last = Hobbs | archive-date = 19 May 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230519182638/https://nypost.com/2023/01/26/burger-king-whopper-songs-catchy-lyrics-now-a-viral-meme/ | url-status = live }}</ref>  
* [[Will It Blend?]] – The [[blender]] product [[Blendtec]], claimed by its creator Tom Dickson to be the most powerful blender, is featured in a series of YouTube videos, "''Will It Blend?''" where numerous food and non-food items are used within the blender.<ref name="oratech">{{cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/27/business/media/27adco.html | title = To Fix Bad Breath, a Gadget Seen on YouTube | work = The New York Times | date = 26 September 2010 | access-date = 10 May 2011 | first = Claire Cain | last = Miller | archive-date = 11 July 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200711094354/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/27/business/media/27adco.html | url-status = live }}</ref>
* [[Xtranormal]] – A website allowing users to create videos by scripting the dialog and choosing from a menu of camera angles and predesigned CGI characters and scenes. Though originally designed to be used to ease [[storyboard]] development for filmmakers, the site quickly became popular after videos made with the tool, including "iPhone 4 vs HTC Evo", became viral.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.fastcompany.com/1715106/inside-xtranormals-budding-do-it-yourself-movie-empire | title = Inside Xtranormal's Budding Do-It-Yourself Movie Empire | first = Luke | last = O'Brien | date = 12 January 2011 | access-date = 11 October 2012 | work = [[Fast Company (magazine)|Fast Company]] | archive-date = 20 April 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210420223445/https://www.fastcompany.com/1715106/inside-xtranormals-budding-do-it-yourself-movie-empire | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704858404576134203647487090?mod=googlewsj | title = Animation Nation | date = 11 February 2011 | access-date = 11 October 2012 | work = [[The Wall Street Journal]] | first = Ellen | last = Gamerman | archive-date = 19 May 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220519033117/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704858404576134203647487090?mod=googlewsj | url-status = live }}</ref>