The law of unintended consequences and ‘Numa Numa’ (#3)

YouTube never ceases to amaze me with its suggested videos.

One video that got me to click on it yesterday was Numa Numa Full Version. Watching the video brought back memories. The video captivated me when I first saw it sometime in 2005. I even remember the video’s title. It was ‘fat kid sings numa numa’. I had no idea who ‘the fat kid’ was, the language of the song, or who was responsible for it. I remember playing the video more than once though!

Fast forward to today and I did some Googling to answer some of these questions. Gary Brolsma was ‘the fat kid’. The song, Dragostea Din Tei, is in Romanan language and performed by Moldovan pop group O-Zone.

Dragostea Din Tei hit the number-one spot on the Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. It remained there for 12 weeks between June and early September 2004. It topped the singles charts in France, Germany, and Austria for over three months. The song even became the fourth best-selling single of the 21st century in France. No matter how you look at it, some impressive numbers!

No one in America heard of O-Zone or Dragostea Din Tei until December 2004. This was when they watched a video created by a New Jersey vlogger, Gary Brolsma. Gary’s enthusiastic chair-dancing to Dragostea Din Tei was one of the Internet’s first viral hits. It’s not hyperbole to say that Gary was wholly responsible for the song making it to number 72 on the US Pop 100. It also made him “#1 Internet Celebrity” on VH1‘s 40 Greatest Internet Superstars. (Aired on 23 March 2007. The Viral Factory estimated that by November 27, 2006, Gary’s video had been viewed over 700 million times. Today most vloggers would kill for numbers like this. Back then numbers like this were unprecedented. Note. YouTube didn’t even exist when the video was released. The video was first released on Newgrounds.

You know that you’re famous when you make it into South Park. Gary appeared in the Season Twelve episode, “Canada on Strike”. (He was one of the internet celebrities waiting for their theoretical payments).

‘The law of unintended consequences’ has several definitions. I like the definition by TechTarget’s WhatIs.com.

The law of unintended consequences is a frequently-observed phenomenon in which any action has results that are not part of the actor’s purpose.

There’s no doubt that Gary’s video going viral and making Dragostea Din Tei a hit in the US fits the definition. I can’t imagine that the pop group O-Zone ever imagined that their song would become a hit in the US. If you can think of another Moldovan band that has done well in America, I’d be surprised.

Without further ado, in the unlikely event that you haven’t watched the video, here it is. (The full version).

The comments on YouTube are a testament to the popularity of the video. My favorite is:

“Bro this dude is a legend. Who would’ve thought that some random guy dancing and lip syncing to foreign pop in 2004 would gain so much popularity? Truly a meme god.” – Corporal101

Another comment that made me smile:

“Tiktok copied him” – cash money

Successful affiliate programs, like the promotion of a pop song, demand well-executed strategies. Strategies like:

• Highlight your brand, not only products.
• Use social media to educate instead of influence.
• Offer more native marketing formats.
• Explore alternative social media channels.
• Extend bonus commissions to stand out.
• Generate more video formats. (Tutorials are especially popular).
• Team up with micro-influencers.
• Know your competitors.
• Expand growth through partner development.
• Use data to develop campaign strategies.

Sometimes though, blind luck will take you further than you ever imagined possible. We don’t recommend this strategy at Affiliate Manager Expert.

Would you like to discuss your affiliate program strategy? Give us a call today to discuss how Affiliate Manager Expert can help you. +1-307-222-0097.

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