Theworldsmostpowerfulnakedbike.com

This viral marketing website fires on all cylinders. There’s a plain black background, focusing us on the movie playing in the middle. Various pieces of a high-tech sport bike are visible. An anonymous rider backs out of a race trailer, idles to the line, and does a smoky burnout to get the shoes sticky. Then… SQUEERRRWAAAAAH-and we’re off! Screaming into the distance with a hair-raising engine wail; the camera following along for the ride. After ripping through a few gears comes the money-shot: the rider pops a high-speed wheelie giving us the first glimpse of exactly what motorcycle we’ve been looking at… It’s a BMW K 1200R.

Although it’s done here to great effect, showing some expert push your product to the limit is nothing new in transportation sales. What’s taking this site to the next level is a near-perfect, contagion execution.

Let’s pick it apart…

1. BMW really takes advantage of the fact that this url gives no hint as to the product’s branding. They don’t show you the familiar blue-and-white crest until well over 30 seconds into the video. By the time you see that it’s a BMW bike, you’re already invested emotionally in the proceedings and at least some part of that investment is transferred onto their brand, whether you like it or not. They are cutting their baggage loose by taking this chance, and it pays off big.
2. The focus is 100% on the action at hand, there’s no progress slider, there’s no volume button. Just a field of black, their bike footage and you. Normally, sound on a website with no volume/mute button is one of the cardinal sins of web design. They get away with here, though, because it’s not exactly auto-play. You have to click to start the movie. And they give you a warning of the impending audio with a little engine rev before you click. It’s short and sweet enough to not warrant much attention from the guy in the cubicle across the way, but it lets you know tail-pipe music will be forthcoming, should you want to turn down the volume on your computer.
3. The parting shot is nicely done, as well. They provide you a link to contact local dealers as well as a link to the 1200R product page. Two nicely targeted calls to action are presented without having to reproduce their entire site at this alternate url. They also offer a “replay movie” link along with an available download of the film for the ones who liked it enough that they want to experience it again, and share it with friends. (A.K.A They pay service to, and provide a path of least resistance for, those who are most likely to truly make it a viral site.)

Whoever is doing BMW’s new-media marketing earned every penny on this one. Laser-like focus on the product at hand, maximum capitalization on the distance-from-brand viral campaigns offer, and a classy, understated call to action makes this viral site a winner.