Remember the Charlie bit my finger – Again viral video? How could you have forgotten. But just in case, it’s the one where a kid (Harry) sits with a baby on his knee who then bites Harry’s finger and giggles at the resulting wails.
Not only has it been developed as an original series as we reported a couple of months back, but now it has well-and-truly cemented itself as the most successful user-generated viral video EVER…hitting half-a-billion views on YouTube.
While the likes of Gangnam Style has long since passed this figure, as has Justin Bieber’s Baby, we’re reliably informed it’s the first user-generated viral video to reach this magic milestone.
It just so happens that the milestone coincides with the launch of the new series, featuring Harry and Charlie, alongside their younger brother Jasper. The first three pilot episodes titled Biting News, King of The Week and Charlie Bites…Toys are live now.
Mobile rules
The YouTube statistics around the ‘Charlie Bit My Finger’ video makes for interesting reading (perhaps more interesting than the video itself, who knows…) in terms of how viewing habits have evolved since the video first went live.
The video was uploaded to YouTube on the May 22, 2007, and it seems that high-speed mobile broadband, together with the widespread adoption of smartphones and tablets, has resulted in a big shift towards video-consumption on the move. Almost three quarters (73.5%) of all ‘Charlie Bit My Finger’ views in 2012 came from mobile devices, compared to just 45.2% in 2011 and 22.4% in 2010.
The news today comes courtesy of marketing company Viral Spiral, which is responsible for connecting viral content with brands, agencies and production companies, and Rightster, the online video distribution, marketing and monetisation firm.
“We love that such a simple video has touched so many souls,” says Howard Davies-Carr, father of Harry, Charlie and Jasper. “We hope the boys can continue to lighten up peoples’ lives in the years to come.”
Anyway, once again for your viewing pleasure…
Feature Image Credit – Thinkstock
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