BP Continues Brand Clean-up on YouTube

BP is pushing a new YouTube video series, "My Gulf," while purchasing display ads (pictured) on the video site to promote the effort. Eight videos roughly two-and-a-half minutes long have been rolled out since late August, portraying Gulf Coast lifestyles.

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill occurred 17 months ago, and since then BP has been doing what it can to clean up its brand image through PR and marketing, including a healthy dose online. In addition to the eight aforementioned videos, BP's Youtube channel includes two :60 spots titled "Voices From The Gulf," which have also run in digital paid media and as TV ads . BP has pledged $170 million to helping promote Gulf Coast tourism, as well as a $5 billion fund for residents and businesses affected by the spill.

The My Gulf effort is ongoing. A BP spokesperson told ClickZ News via email that the initiative will eventually total up to 28 YouTube videos. The videos are also being consistently plugged on the oil company's Facebook and Twitter accounts.

"Some of the video content from the My Gulf series is actually included in our paid media executions, as are the TV ads," the spokesperson explained. "We are doing this to extend the reach of the effort beyond our own social media channels."

Meanwhile, here's a snapshot of how BP's social media attempts are faring. In the last three months, it has considerably increased its Facebook "likes" from 61,000 to 117,000. Twitter followers have modestly grown from 28,000 to 31,000.

Meanwhile BP endured a social media backlash in June. Negative comments from users seems to have slowed, but posts like the following from yesterday can still be found on its pages:

All those tourists exposed to things now proven to cause cancer, who at fish genetically mutiliated by BP's oil and chemicals. Just image how those punitive damage will add up FAST. And all of them LURED with the BP promos and incentives. It's a beautiful thing.