By now I’m sure that many readers have already feasted on both the visual and musical tour de force that is “It’s Thanksgiving,” as performed by Nicole Westbrook and written/produced by Patrice Wilson. The many, many things that can be said about that song and its most famous predecessor in the genre of laughingly bad tween music videos, “Friday” by Rebecca Black, have been written elsewhere and with more wit than I can conjure.
No, I don’t particularly care about the song or the questionable judgment of Westbrook’s parents.
I’m interested in Patrice Wilson, the producer and CEO of PMW Live, who is responsible for both of these viral sensations.
Patrice Wilson is a business genius, and he is the kind of innovator that 21st century companies will need to truly harness the power of the Internet.
Eighteen months ago, the world was introduced to Rebecca Black in the song “Friday.” It gained worldwide notoriety overnight, like many viral videos before it, and then descended into oblivion. Black got her fifteen minutes of fame — or infamy — and will probably go on to live a more or less normal, inconspicuous adult life. And when Black faded into the background, the world also forgot about Patrice Wilson, the limo driver in “Friday” and writer/producer of the song.
This story is familiar in the world of the Internet where today’s viral video is tomorrow’s forgotten fad. And it’s merciless, too: today you have one million hits, but you’re ancient history in less than a year’s time. And, that’s exactly what would’ve happened to anyone other than Patrice Wilson.
Within eighteen months of the release of “Friday,” Wilson and his clients are all over the Internet again.
Not content with being relegated to the dustbin of YouTube sensations, he has managed to reinsert himself and his brand of horrible music into our lives.
In an exclusive email interview with The News-Letter, he explained that “you cannot strike lightning twice, the second time around means that the formula works well.”
I would even go a step further. Mr. Wilson, your formula is pure gold.
“Friday” is EXACTLY the same as “It’s Thanksgiving,” just with a different girl and slightly different lyrics. But we ate it up. We’re all talking about you, Patrice Wilson. I reiterate, if Wilson had just tried to re-release another Rebecca Black song and video, no one would notice. He knew that he couldn’t reuse the dirty dish water. Black was now stale, but, the fundamentals of what made “Friday” viral weren’t.
Enter Nicole Westbrook. She’s pretty, suburban and white. Based on the video her (seemingly absent) parents could’ve voted for Obama or Romney. She’s the girl next door. And the song: catchy, thematic, inane and IDENTICAL to Friday. Wilson knew it would sell views. Who could pass it up? The entertainment value is priceless. Internet innovators are the future, and Wilson has proved that he can harness the attention of the listless masses. (I foresee American Idol and The X Factor will be replaced by PMW Live.)
Wilson is adamant that his model is the way of the future. “We are geared towards the independent world and believe [sic] that you don’t [sic] need to be signed to a major record label to be successful [sic], you can make that happen yourself.”
I applaud you, Mr. Wilson. You are 100% correct.
TV is unreliable. Microsoft and iTunes are controlled by corporate snobs. We need independent innovators with vision who won’t sell out.
Anyone who says Wilson’s vision is limited to laughingly bad lyrics and the dubious realization that he can make lots of money off of rich parents hoping to make their hapless children famous doesn’t recognize just how expansive and simple his strategy is. To make yourself relevant, you don’t need to be constantly innovating. You don’t even need to be good at what you do. All you need to do is make something so bad that it makes the viewer sympathetic or even angry.
Wilson says, “I start with the songs and I come up with the idea for most of the videos. PMW serves as an overall platform throught [sic] the artist project. Its [sic] like a one stop shop, until we launch their music video into the world.” This is the 21st century. Look out, music and entertainment executives, because Patrice Wilson can do what you pay consultants and advertising agencies millions to do. And, based on Wilson’s video track record, it doesn’t take millions to make his formula work.
In fact, all it takes is a little faith: “My main secret is that I’m a believer in Christ and I put God first in my business, that is why my formula and model works,” he wrote.
So there you have it, entertainment executives: forget hiring overpriced consultants and ad men, just get religion and some cheap production equipment.
Those who want to make it big via the Internet, take notes on Wilson’s formula. Get noticed for being really bad at what you do, embrace it, let people forget about you, then do it again — just slightly differently and with different people.
Oh yeah, and happy (belated) Thanksgiving; December’s coming up, which means Christmas must be almost here – and January is New Year’s, so be on the lookout for a video about that one, too. And, if you’re really lucky, Mr. Wilson will show up to your holiday parties in his turkey costume.
Read the entire interview with Patrice Wilson online at http://www.jhunewsletter.com/2012/11/30/exclusive-interview-with-patrice-wilson-16343/
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