Listerine, the oral healthcare brand under Johnson and Johnson, have unveiled interactive YouTube videos which feature personalised content. They claim to be the first to release this kind of branded content.

These branded videos give a brief description on what exactly happens when a person eats, bites, drinks or even holds anything in his/her mouth. Termed as Mouth vs. Life, these videos have people dressed as gums and teeth who demonstrate, in a light-hearted manner, the effects that different edible (and inedible) items have on the teeth and gums. YouTube's auto-playlist functionality enables users to choose from various videos, categorised as ‘things you drink', ‘things you eat' and so on. A ‘germ-o-meter' is placed in the video to show the extent of germs during each action. Users are also given the option of sharing these videos on their Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Running channels on YouTube not only allows brands to advertise their products, but also offers creative ways to showcase products. A brand can always feature extra content such as behind-the-scenes footage, the making of the ad and Listerine has done just that. They've given users an in-depth coverage of their brand, and have added interactivity to make it user-friendly. Not many Indian brands have followed suit, though some brands have channels that are in their nascent stage.

Do you think YouTube channels are a good tool to market products? Are brands making good use of it? Let us know in your comments below.

- Prerna Arora