Law is Talkin' to "The YouTube Generation" (and Tryin' to Dig What They All S-S-S-Say)

This month, the emoticon turned 25 -- that's older than me. Does that make it all the more sad that I sort of subscribe to the whole "Internet Dumbing Down of Society" spiel and keep holding out wistfully for yesterday's technologies? Yeah, I do think it does, but on the other hand, this sort of thing is enough to make a girl spend an hour trying to learn how to use a slide rule.

Just like any other business, law firms have to hire fresh meat and attract new clients, and it's an aspect that can get competitive (also just like any other business) so executives sometimes have to fight to come out on top in the eyes of their target demographic. It's impossible to deny the mass appeal of Web 2.0 and the deluge of amateur user-made web content that came with it, and that's where the marketing come in. According to an article in the good old New York Times Online, a few law firms are apparently stepping boldly into the terrifying and self-effacing realm of web videos.

Now, in no way would I ever generalize lawyers as NOT being young-thinking and hip; I know a few lawyers on this here site alone that would discount any claim to the otherwise. That said, it's always kind of amusing to me when anyone goes out of their way via viral marketing to appeal directly to a seemingly incongruous audience. Especially when said seemingly incongruous audiences (read: 16-year-old girls in their bedrooms) are better at the game than the professionals.

Well, I don't know, who doesn't want to feel held hostage by the law? Granted, some have gotten a handle on the whole "quippy and ironic web video" oeuvre a little quicker than others -- NYT mentions Choate Hall & Stewart as a stand-out for glomming onto one of viral marketing's most beloved comedy duos.

Uh-oh, and I bet they use PCs at Megafirm, too! It's a pretty cute idea, though, and well executed. Not everyone is so lucky, and in contrast, an LA firm's ad decided to lay on the schmaltz and fake storyline, which everyone ought to know is against the primary rules of successful YouTube videos (Glib and non-sequitur wins the race, kids!), with not-so-successful results.

Well, you can't win them all. Especially not by cramming as many "hip active carefree college girl" stereotypes into one person as one possibly can. (Though it's hard to really tell without having been able to see it.)

Some firms seem to be going the simple route, using just straight-up conversations to try and display employees' personalities without making too big a show of it. One such firm is Sullivan and Cromwell, whose videos I'm sure I'd really like if I could actually view them properly. (Perhaps you all can tell me if they are effective or not.) These videos are said to be aimed at a generation who "takes the Web for granted," not into it so much for the novelty, but for the honest social networking. Will it work? Perhaps. It's the closest to old-school recruiting we seem to get nowadays. But deep down... well.You've got to love PC vs Apple.

Oh, internets.



_DictionaryGirl_'s mother would be saddened to see all these law firm sites open on her browser, and not a single application. She did so want her to become a lawyer.