Viral Video Watch: Apple and Samsung Brace for the Drop Test

With all the excitement and many happenings with Apple and the iPhone 4S lately, it didn't take long before the standard new-phone video took hold: the drop test. So classic, David Letterman made it a regular segment on his show for years. What makes this particular drop test so juicy? It's with the brand new iPhone 4S and Samsung Galaxy II.

The first test was a waist high drop. The second, a shoulder high drop, and the third a facedown drop. The winner? While there's never a winner in a phone dropping contest, the least damaged phone was the Samsung Galaxy II, while the iPhone 4S was virtually shattered. No surprise there. The Galaxy II uses plastic all around and nearly indestructible Corning Gorilla Glass on the front. The iPhone uses a metal band with glass for the front and the back. But how about the idea of the video?

It's produced by Squaretrade, a web-based startup that offers extended warranties on electronics. When a company makes a viral, it's usually something interesting, themed or related to what they are selling or offering, and usually positive, and sometimes it will actually make sense. And speaking of Corning Glass, we'll use that as an example. This past February, Corning released a viral titled "A Day Made of Glass." This is a great example of a successful viral, (not to mention that it's the most watched corporate video ever). It has positive energy, shows fascinating and imaginative ideas in a warm way that is themed and related to the product, and because of that, became a hit.

In the Squaretrade viral above, besides being a drop test, it's a classic example of what not to do if you get a Squaretrade warranty. They even warn viewers in the description - "P.S. We don't cover intentional damage like you see in the video." Squaretrade seems to be cashing in on the design of the iPhone, particularly the 4 and 4S. Seems like a smart tactic, considering the iPhone and iPad products are all over the homepage of their site.

Just because they tried the viral this way doesn't mean it wasn't successful though. The video has over 2.7 million views, and who doesn't like seeing fancy gadgets being destroyed? At least they didn't test it out the same way Daniel Tosh did on his show Tosh.0.

And if a simple phone or tablet drop isn't enough, how about a Chevy Sonic car being dropped from an insanely high peak? As part of a campaign titled "Let's Do This," Chevy is giving away first one Chevy Sonic to a completely random person, and will continue to encourage people to interact with the Sonic community via a contest that shows off cool feats that people can accomplish, with proof provided by photo or video.

These feats or tasks earn points and votes, ultimately leading to another Sonic Chevy being given away to the one with the most points.