MTV launched a campaign featuring a fictitious new association that criticized MTV, the idea being that there can be no better advertising strategy than to put oneself down. This “New Revival Association: for unblemished youth”, published posters, leaflets, and educational videos where they either censured specific MTV campaigns or warned young people about the dangers of the channel.The association’s website was packed with references to MTV’s perverse influence on kids.But their most devastating weapon by far was singing group “Happiness”, whose single “I Love Laura but I’ll wait till we’re married” undoubtedly provided Spain with the year’s alternative music hit.

An advertising campaign and its own counter campaign were developed.

OFFICIAL CAMPAIGN. There’s nothing better for getting in shape than dancing to the beat of good music without surgery. This campaign was released on the website bringoutyourmtvside.com, in posters, free dailies and free postcards.COUNTER CAMPAIGN. The “New Revival Association: For Youth Without A Blemish” came to life to challenge any activity MTV undertook and made that known in the street, on dontwatchmtv.com, in their educational videos, on the radio, in their posters, leaflets, etc. as well as the Happiness group - the musical antidote to the groups featured on MTV.

In 3 weeks, MTV increased audience levels by 50%. Impact achieved was on par with a 3 million Euro investment. Real campaign cost was 60,000€.Over 3,500.000 downloads of the “I love Laura” videoclip were recorded. The website registered almost two and a half million hits. Over 500,000 references to the campaign exist, in Google.The campaign is featured under the wikipedia.org definition of “Viral Marketing”. Thanks to the Internet, and parallel to the campaign’s impact in Spain, Latin America contributed to the viral effect of “I love Laura”. In short, MTV became the year’s social phenomenon in Spain, all thanks to a campaign wherein not a single logo was shown.