The U.K.-based Viral Awards, which launched last month in London, came to New York this week with a reception at the Chelsea Museum of Contemporary Art. Unveiled at the event, which was sponsored by New York editing company The Now Corporation, were honors for the “Most Infectious North American Viral Campaign.” Additionally, winners announced at an event last month in London were screened.
Scoring the gold honor for “Most Infectious North American Viral Campaign” was “Subservient Chicken” for Burger King out of Crispin Porter+Bogusky, Miami. The silver honor went to the “Instructoart” series of promos for MTV created by Matt Vescovo, with animation from bicoastal Hornet. The bronze went to a series of online Napster spots created by Venable, Bell & Partners, San Francisco; Ian Kovalik of Mekanism, San Francisco, directed the work.
Three campaigns were inducted into the Viral Hall of Fame: the Web site for The Blair Witch Project, created by directing collective The Haxans, who now do ad work via bicoastal/international Chelsea Pictures; The MasterCard “Priceless campaign out of McCann-Erickson, New York; and Budweiser’s “Whassup,” out of DDB Chicago, and directed by Charles Stone III with production by C&C Films/Storm Films, Brooklyn, New York. (Stone is now with Brown Bag Films, New York.)
