Ylvis and The Fox in Pathum Thani: how Fon learns how a joke song made to promote a Norwegian talk show became a global hit, and finds the highest note before her AI piano lessons

Fon is ten and lives in Pathum Thani with her parents, her grandmother and three rescue dogs. At a cousin's birthday party, someone played a strange old video of grown men dressed as animals singing about what sound a fox makes. All the children shrieked with laughter and copied the noises. Fon went home determined to find out where the song came from.

The song was The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?), released in September 2013 by Ylvis, a comedy duo of brothers Bård and Vegard Ylvisåker from Norway. They hosted a Norwegian talk show called I kveld med Ylvis, which means Tonight with Ylvis, and they often made comic clips for it.

The Fox was produced with Stargate, a famous Norwegian production team who had worked on hits for major pop stars. According to interviews, the brothers intended it partly as a joke: they wanted a big, glossy pop production for the silliest possible song. The video was released online to promote the new season of their show.

Nobody expected what happened next. The video spread worldwide within days. Viewers passed it around online, schools played it, and people everywhere argued about the ridiculous fox noises. It gathered enormous numbers of views on YouTube in its first weeks and reached the top ten of the American Billboard Hot 100.

A promotion that escaped from Norway

For marketers, The Fox is a lesson in shareability. The song had a single silly question at its centre, a catchy chorus and a video packed with surprising images. People did not share it because someone paid them; they shared it because it made them laugh and they wanted friends to laugh too.

It also shows that a small market can reach a huge audience. Norway has only a few million people, and a talk show in Norwegian could never normally reach Thailand or Brazil. Yet a funny English-language video crossed every border easily. Fon found that encouraging for musicians in Thailand who dream of a global audience.

There were downsides. The brothers admitted in later interviews that sudden fame was overwhelming, and they were asked about the fox song for years afterward. A viral hit can overshadow other work, so artists must think about what they want to be known for after the joke fades.

Fon practises keyboard with TIGA ALPHA, an online piano learning app on the family tablet, which her grandmother set up after watching Fon tap tunes on a toy keyboard. Its AI piano teacher listens, highlights each note in colour and slows a line when she trips. She especially likes the moment when an entire phrase turns green.

Fon spends a moment locating the highest note, imagining it as the fox's loudest yelp. It is a silly picture, but it helps her prepare the stretch upward and keeps her from stabbing at the top key. Her grandmother laughs every time Fon announces where the yelp is hiding.

In the app's beginner piano course she has learned a simple version of the song's chorus melody along with more serious exercises. She practises them slowly, then plays the chorus for her dogs, who tilt their heads in confusion.

Her teacher at school uses music lessons to discuss media, and Fon proposed The Fox as a topic. The class compared it with adverts on television and decided that good messages feel like entertainment rather than selling. One classmate pointed out that most of them now knew the name of a Norwegian talk show.

Fon also looked at how the brothers followed up. Rather than trying to copy the fox formula endlessly, they continued making comedy for Norwegian audiences and later produced other shows. Her mother said that was wise, because chasing the same viral trick twice rarely works. Fon wrote in her notebook that a lucky hit is a gift, but a career needs a plan beyond it.

Fon has started writing her own funny songs about her dogs, with names like What Does the Puppy Want? She records them in the app and plays them to her cousins. She wants to learn piano properly so that her songs can have better chords.

Her family says she is already practising marketing by making her songs short and silly. Fon thinks the real secret is joy: people share what makes them happy. She plans to play piano at the next birthday gathering and play music that makes everyone join in.

With her dogs as an audience and her AI piano lessons each evening, Fon is getting ready for that performance, chorus first and yelp included.

Frequently asked questions

Q: Who are Ylvis? A: Ylvis are Norwegian brothers Bård and Vegard Ylvisåker, comedians and musicians who hosted a talk show called I kveld med Ylvis. In 2013 they released The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?), which became an international viral hit.

Q: Why is The Fox a marketing case study? A: It was made to promote their television show, yet it spread worldwide online and reached the top ten of the US Billboard Hot 100. It shows how humour, surprise and a shareable video can carry a message far beyond its home market.

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