Greater than a decade after it was launched, Melbourne’s public transport security marketing campaign remains to be going viral on social media.
Again in 2012, promoting company McCann Australia launched Dumb Methods To Die – an upbeat, jovial jingle reminding Victorians to be smart round public transport.
The three-minute clip for Metro Trains confirmed cute bean-like characters dying in every kind of dumb methods – some shedding their non-public elements to piranhas, others dropping useless from consuming tubes of tremendous glue.
The tune’s remaining verse reveals public transport-themed dumb deaths, starting from falling off a practice station platform to failing to cease at a stage crossing.
To McCann Australia’s surprise, the marketing campaign did not solely go viral regionally – it exploded internationally.
The unique YouTube video had greater than 20 million views inside per week.
The week of its launch, it grew to become the world’s most-shared video, even beating the video for Rihanna’s Diamondswhich was launched on the identical day.
On the time of publishing, Dumb Methods To Die has 254 million views and counting, and it stays the most-shared commercial of all time.
And if social media is something to go by, it isn’t slowing down in recognition any time quickly.
The monitor has had a viral resurgence on TikTok and Instagram Reels, with individuals sharing what can solely be described as ‘epic fails’ together with the audio.
From mishaps on the skate park, to a near-accident with a noticed blade, persons are sharing their misadventures, admitting it could have been a fairly dumb option to die.
@wolfofbrisbane Let’s simply say I had good luck right now #wolfofbrisbane #foryou #foryoupage #fyp #viral #trend #tradie #electrician #chippy #plumber #concrete #apprentice #apprenticeship #dumbwaystodye #greenscreenvideo ♬ Dumb Ways to Die – Tangerine Kitty
@c_ransleyy Everybody be asking for this 😳💀 #skatepark #scooter #skate #dumb #ways #to #die #crazy ♬ Dumb Ways to Die – Tangerine Kitty
@yaslalee ♬ original sound – YasLalee_AdoreRugs
The DWTD franchise
What began as a humble marketing campaign has expanded right into a franchise.
In 2013, Metro Trains Melbourne capitalized on the tune’s recognition to create a Dumb Methods To Die cellular sport.
The app had greater than 103 million downloads and 7 billion distinctive views, and was showcased on YouTube channels far and broad, together with on that of the largest YouTuber on the time, Felix ‘PewDiePie’ Kjellberg.
The challenge proved that, not solely was the tune as catchy as ever, however it may stand alone as a franchise.
The sport’s sequel, Dumb Methods To Die 2 was launched in November 2014, and Dumb Methods To Die 3: World Tour arrived in 2017.
Loads of spin-off video games have been additionally launched, together with Dumb Methods to Draw, Dumb Methods to Sprint and Dumb Methods to Die: Superheroes.
The subsequent step
In 2021, it was introduced that online game developer PlaySide Studios had acquired the Dumb Methods To Die franchise from Metro Trains Melbourne for $2.25 million.
As a part of the acquisition, PlaySide acquired all copyright, logos, software program, merchandise, social media accounts and domains.
A part of the continued recognition of the catchy tune has been due to PlaySide, which has since crammed the Dumb Methods To Die social media accounts with movies utilizing the tune.
In lots of their clips, life-sized mascots of the unique characters react to individuals getting damage.
As a part of the celebrations for the tune’s 10-year anniversary, PlaySide announced that Dumb Methods to Die 4 will likely be launched someday in 2023.
It has additionally introduced that one other online game, Bean Landis in development.
The gameplay appears to be like to be much like that of battle area online game League of Legendswith PlaySide describing it as an “epic top-down motion brawler”.
@official_dumwaystodie #duet with @Helga María ♡ We love this development!! #dumbwaystodieee #dwtd #dumbways ♬ original sound – Blake Floyd
@official_dumwaystodie ♬ original sound – Blake Floyd
In the event you thought that was sufficient bean-filled content material, there’s a lot extra the place that got here from.
PlaySide additionally took the idea to the digital market, releasing an NFT known as BEANS in February 2022, to be circulated on the Ethereum blockchain.
Though these tasks haven’t got a lot to do with public security any extra, PlaySide Studios has signaled that the characters may characteristic in future campaigns.
Upon the acquisition, the corporate indicated that there was a strong opportunity for the Dumb Methods To Die franchise within the rail, infrastructure, medical and public well being sectors.
