Arguably the happiest and most nerve-racking day of a woman's life, a wedding is something to look back on with fond memories. On January 18, 2007, 2.8 million web surfers got a different take on that day. YouTube viewers watched in morbid fascination as a young bride "freaked out" and proceeded to butcher her hair in a room full of horrified bridesmaids.

After much speculation and national coverage, Jodi Behan, the video's star, came clean "Good Morning America". Far from a "bridezilla," Behan is a 22-year-old aspiring actress from Toronto. The incident was designed to generate buzz on the Web, like Lonelygirl15, who tricked millions this past summer.

Behan; Ingrid Haas, the co-creator of the video; and the two women who played Behan's bridesmaids hope to garner acting jobs in response to the international attention.

Behan and Lonelygirl15 are prime examples of the growing marketing power of YouTube. What was once a forum for Web users to showcase goofy talents and skits has become a powerful marketing tool. Companies such as Volkswagen - courtesy of Crispin Porter + Bogusky - are jumping on the YouTube marketing machine by sticking advertisements on the site. Senator Hilary Clinton announced her Whitehouse bid via video on her website creating media buzz for both her announcement and the launching vehicle.

Traditional approaches of advertising are being replaced with the low-budget, attention-grabbing web casts that can reach millions of viewers all over the world. More and more companies are turning to websites such as YouTube, eBaums's World and Myspace to reach the elusive, yet influential 18-25 demographic

Only time will tell if web casts will remain a viable marketing tool in communications, but some questions do arise. Do companies run the risk of angering web surfers who may feel "duped" or "being sold to" as more advertisements flood the Internet? Are web casts a passing fad that will incur a negative image for companies? And, what will be methods of measurement will be used to monitor and substantiate the use of this strategy?