'Sikat ka na, Ate Vangie!' Or, how to make a Pinoy viral video

Combining modern technology with a good dose of humor certainly gets you a long way. Just ask Ate Vangie.

 

In the short week since she went online, "Ate Vangie" —a fictional Filipino counterpart of Apple's Siri voice assistant— has exploded in online popularity with over a million views to date.

 

But who's the creative team behind the hit? And what's the secret to their success?

 

Gung Ho Films, a wholly Filipino-owned independent commercial production house, claims the campaign as its own brainchild. And, contrary to public speculation, it's not a paid endorsement for Apple nor any of the local telcos.

 

"We just wanted to show people what we're capable of as a production house. We shot the first 'Vangie' video in the span of a week then immediately uploaded it. All the main actors are from the Philippine Theater Actors Guild," Gung Ho Films' Paolo Dy told GMA News Online.

 

"We looked at advertising trends and realized that viral marketing is the way to go. We wanted to show what Gung Ho Films can do, especially in terms of penetrating the online space," he elaborated.

 

But Dy admits that getting an online campaign to go viral is always tricky. 

 

"Every viral video has its own character. The things that make a video go viral would be different each time. You have to understand the situation, the climate, the mood of the people and tailor your material and strategy to ride whatever wave exists in the public at that moment," he explained.

 

He said said that the use of Pinoy humor was a deliberate and decisive move on Gung Ho's part. 

 

"It's a combination of content that appeals to people and makes them want to share it with their friends. Filipinos love to share a lot," he said of Vangie's viral success.

 

By and large, the reception of online Pinoys to Vangie's wisecracks has been overwhelmingly positive.

 

"Sana, totoo si #Vangie! Hahaha! It's so hard to have conversation with Siri," wished Twitter user Gaston Arcega.

 

"Laughtrip! Totoo ba yung Pinoy version ng iPhone 4s na Siri na si #Vangie? HAHA!" an incredulous Gian Jornacion tweeted.

 

But not everyone latched on to Vangie's humor:

 

"Di ko gets bat natatawa kayo sa Vangie, ang corny kaya. Ganda ng concept at pagkaedit and nung cam pero corny," tweeted Nadine Leano.

 

Nevertheless, Dy said that Gung Ho Films hopes to continue to build on Ate Vangie's success.

 

"There will definitely be more videos in the new year," he said.

 

In addition to her YouTube videos, "Vangie" also has accounts on Facebook (Facebook.com/AteVangie.PinoySiri) and Twitter (Twitter.com/atevangie), where she actively interacts in character with fans. — TJD, GMA News