UPDATED – Metro Trains’ ‘Dumb ways to die’ web film via McCann Melbourne now with nearly 11 million views so far on YouTube in 5 days

Described by Gawker described as “impossibly winsome” and The Sydney Morning Herald as “irksomely catchy”, McCann’s “Dumb Ways to Die” video for Metro Trains became an instant hit within 24 hours of launch on Friday.

The song reached the top 10 chart of iTunes within 24 hours and by Sunday was ranked number four on the singer/songwriter category on the global iTunes chart. It was also on the front page of Reddit for six hours over the weekend.

By tonight, the three-minute video has gathered almost 11 million views and over 140,000 likes (and just over 3000 dislikes) on YouTube and is number one on the Viral Video Chart, ahead of Rihanna and Psy. It is also generating endless positive chatter on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr.

VIEW THE VIDEO ON BESTADS

VIEW THE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE

Says McCann Executive Creative Director John Mescall: “It’s pretty cool to make an ad that’s getting more shares than Rihanna. And even cooler that people are actually buying it off iTunes. I might be wrong, but I suspect the last time people paid money to own an ad in this country was when ‘C’mon Aussie C’mon’ was huge in the late ’70s.”

The catchy tune and music video are designed to clearly capture the reality of most train accidents – they’re almost entirely preventable and would never happen if the people involved didn’t do something dumb.

Media spend for the campaign kicks off this week.

The music video and song can be downloaded from the iTunes store or via DumbWaysToDie.com, the campaign will also appear in press, through a Nova radio promotion, on Tumblr, through small and large space outdoor and right throughout the Metro Trains network.

Executive Creative Director: John Mescall

Marketing Manager: Chloe Alsop