Each year, the Webby Awards hands out a slew of oddly shaped trophies, honoring excellence on the Internet. Often referred to as the Emmys of the Web, recipients are selected by a 750-member body of experts, business figures, luminaries, visionaries, and celebrities, many of whom are former Webby Award winners themselves. Needless to say, it’s a highly coveted honor. One only the most creative humans on the planet are lucky enough to enjoy.

Well, humans and puppets. This year, the award for Viral Video of the Year went to — wait for it — the Muppets for their rendition of Queen’s classic Bohemian Rhapsody. For some, the announcement may have been surprising given the long list of worthy contenders, which included “Auto-Tune the News” from Next New Networks, “David After the Dentist,” “Lindsay Lohan’s eHarmony Profile” from Funny or Die, and the “Love Project” from BBDO New York. But the Muppet’s video isn’t without merit. It stars an ensemble cast, including Kermit, Miss Piggy, and Animal. It puts a creative, humorous spin on the lyrics (a spin that also manages to censor the song for children). And it garnered more than 14,000,000 views thanks to a high pass-along factor in related forums and online communities. Certainly, it’s hard to argue with the judging panel’s decision when looking at the video’s credentials.

We, the people who would seriously consider selling a kidney for 14,000,000 views and a Webby Award, could learn a thing or two from those fuzzy little critters. The Bohemian Rhapsody remake had all the ingredients for viral success. It featured a relatable cast. It delivered a message in a creative, entertaining manner. Most importantly, and often the most overlooked ingredient, was the distribution model that delivered the video to a target audience — parents and children — with a high likelihood of forwarding worthwhile content to their network of family and friends. It was a well-planned, well-executed effort that gave the people what they wanted, while building the Muppet/Henson brand. In the end, isn’t that what advertising is all about?