If you are looking for a sure-fire way to attract attention with a video, you can’t go wrong with a spoof.

Whether you are “putting on” a popular television show, movie, personality, star, politician or scandal, there is a good chance you will get a laugh and alot of recognition.

If your spoof is well done, the results can be truly extraordinary.

Here is a hysterical send-up of the “I’m a Mac, and I’m a PC” commercials:

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Its actually a double parody because it uses characters similar to the ones in Comedy Central’s South Park Series.

In order to make your spoof video successful:

Make sure viewers know its a spoof! (Obvious, I know. But you might be surprised). You don’t have to include “spoof” in the title, but its enormously helpful to include recognizable catchwords to what you are spoofing. “Mac vs. PC – South Park Style” will attract not only fans of the commercial, but of the TV show as well. A success double-whammy.

Make sure the spoof is skillful. If the spoof isn’t well done (i.e. an American Idol spoof where Simon doesn’t have an English accent) not only shoots your credibility, but may actually offend fans of what you are sending up.

Make sure the spoof either relates in some way to your product or service, or is so far removed (i.e. Darth Vader as a grocery store clerk) that the humor of it actually builds buzz.

The trickiest part of spoofs are the legal angle. I am not an attorney, so I am not qualified to give legal advice. For information purposes only, I can tell you things that I would absolutely avoid:

Using the exact name or logo of what you are spoofing. ( i.e. American Idol)

Implying a direct link or endorsement between what you are spoofing and your product or service.

You may want to include a disclaimer at the end of your video, similar to the Mac vs. PC South Park Style example.

Use your video to simply refer folks to a website, rather than encouraging them to buy a specific product. When I created Entrepreneur Idol for Michael Port, the page simply encouraged folks to opt-in for a free chapter to Book Yourself Solid, rather than deliver a sales pitch for the book.

To be honest, I am surprised by alot of the stuff that passes muster. And you never know what the video sites will consider copyright infringement. My experience is, if they don’t like it, or there is a complaint, they will simply ask you to remove it or just remove it themselves.

In spite of this, spoofs and send-ups are a terrific way to create interest, get folks to laugh, and lower their natural defenses long enough to give you and your business a look.