• by Karl Greenberg , June 4, 2012

Sometimes marketers get good ideas from parodies of their marketing. An article in satirical publication The Onion by one "Fred Hammond, director of digital video and social media integration, Tide Detergent," is all about a putative viral video for Tide that has apparently led to Tide making the real thing on its YouTube channel. 

The article makes Tide the target of a general lampoon of marketers' baldfaced efforts to generate buzz. "And it's so easy to see why this Tide detergent video has the entire Internet abuzz," writes the fictive Hammond. "It's just so funny! But not just funny -- cool, too. If you like things that are funny and cool, you should definitely watch this clip from Tide. I guarantee it's right up your alley!" he writes. "In fact, the video is so cool I had to go check out more at @Tide's Twitter feed!"

In the story, he writes: "Hey, wouldn't it be incredible if Tide's unbelievable new viral video and app were just the start of a really awesome online campaign? Just imagine how sick a video would be for Tide Totalcare or the Tide to Go Instant Stain Remover pen."

Tide's response was this video. Digitas handles Tide's online efforts. At the link, tthe packaged goods maker said, "The Onion had fun with Tide this week. Now it's our turn. Watch the cool new viral Tide detergent video with cute, funny talking animals, an indie rock song, and an 80's-inspired rock star. The video launched June 1 and has gotten 2,335 views. That is not Bret Michaels in the video, obviously. "Are we trending yet?" asks one of the animals at the end of the video, as a stuffed bird goes "Tweet!"