42 Below Swipes Numa Numa For Holiday Promotion

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Highjacking the Numa Numa video and its various incarnations, New Zealand's 42 Below Vodka has set up a special call center in India to cope with apparent Holiday demand for its vodka and is promoting it with yet another version of Gary Brolsma's Numa Numa. Because we're only "almost sorta hip" and not entirely hip like the rest of you, this Numa Numa thing amuses us every time. In fact, one day...at band camp... (see how unhip we are using five year old cultural references?)... we spent an entire hour on GaryBrolsma.Net watching the endless collection of knock offs. Now 42 Below can add itself the the list.

by Steve Hall    Nov-18-05    
Topic: Viral



Napster Proves Thirty Second Music Previews Aren't Enough

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To illustrate just how much better its all you can eat package is as compared to iTune's and other's 30 second song preview approach to selling online music, Napster shows just how frustrating that 30th second can be. There's really not anything else to say about this other than point made, point taken...perfectly.

by Steve Hall    Nov-18-05    
Topic: Viral



Donald Trump Gets Subservient For Writer's Guild

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We're about a week behind on this but, according to Google, it ain't news yet. So we're going to help make it news by telling you that the Writers Guild of America, West, some of whom work as reality TV writers, has launched Subservient Donald, part of Product Invasion and yet another take on the now famous Subservient Chicken. The Guild, which recently called for a code of conduct to govern product placement on television and require disclosure during credits, are behind Product Invasion which is an attack on the insanity of television product placement. Subservient Donald is a humorous take on the topic featuring a Donald Trump look-a-like who spouts product-laden snark in reaction to various commands. Let's see what kind of link-fest this thing cooks up.

by Steve Hall    Nov-17-05    
Topic: Product Placement, Television, Viral



Site Promoted With Boiled Hot Dogs

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This is just weird but it was intriguing enough to watch until the end which , given our ADD-addled brain, says a lot. There's really nothing that exciting about watching a guy boil hot dogs until you realize its not the hot dogs he really wants. Oh, and it's all to promote Steve's Word (no, not this Steve), a "prurient sophomoric gratuitously smut-ridden humor site."

by Steve Hall    Nov-17-05    
Topic: Viral



Axe Viral Finds Home On Interactive Television

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Created in June, this Axe news-report-mocking video about a fictitious Alaskan town that used Axe deodorant to attract women because the town had none, has finally found a home beyond the bits and bytes of the viral highway. The video will be central to an interactive television campaign running on Comcast ITV's Cartoon Network Swim Block and will consist of a news banner that runs along the bottom of programming which, if clicked, leads to the video.

by Steve Hall    Nov-16-05    
Topic: Cable, Television, Viral



Diesel Launches Viral Spam

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"Somebody claiming to be DeEtte wrote:

Hello - I am trying to get ahold of the blow-up dolls used in the new Diesel print campaign (the bizarre twist on the Russian nesting doll). Any idea if these can be purchased online?? http://www.zoozoom.com/magazine.aspx?type=ad&id=45

btw, it's perfect for some twisted viral or spoof. suprised no one's run with it. or have they??"

DeEtte, tell Diesel they can stuff their viral spam tactics up their ass, OK?

by Steve Hall    Nov- 7-05    
Topic: Viral



Dancing Robot Gets Final Spoof

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Spoofing the Citroen robot dance, Maverick Media has created a version, called Car Jak'd, to promote the Sony Playstation 2's Jak X combat racing game. The original robot in the ad, which, itself, has been spoofed a few times is, with this spoof finally laid to rest.

by Steve Hall    Nov- 4-05    
Topic: Viral



We're Not Covering This, You Viral Spammers

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This is at least the 4th email we have received about this viral supposedly created by Subway:

"Somebody claiming to be Jason wrote:

One of my friend's forwarded me this link. I haven't heard anything about it so I thought I'd share.

http://get-sa.com

Seems Subway is doing some kind of video site aimed at teens. it's called SA. The content ranges; some of it is pretty funny. And it looks like they give away Subway gift certificates and other prizes too.

Just thought I'd share."

Yea, Jason. Of course you thought you'd share. You and all the other people being paid to spread this thing around. It's not even good enough to warrant sharing.

by Steve Hall    Nov- 3-05    
Topic: Viral



Playboy Gets Verbal In Viral

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To promote its UK website, podcast and blog, Playboy has launched a a viral which, while containing no nudity, might raise your blood pressure a bit if you use your imagination.

by Steve Hall    Nov- 2-05    
Topic: Podcast, Viral, Weblogs



McDonald's To Save McRib With Boneless Pigs

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In a last ditch effort to convince people boneless pig meat is a good thing, McDonald's has launched the MicRib Farewell Tour. Apparently, the McRib was popular at one time but the company is considering dropping the product unless people respond to the promotion which consists of a microsite where fans can find out where and when McDonald's is serving McRib, get McRib trivia, write McRib Haikus, submit their own McRib photos, download official McRib t-shirt decals and send phone messages to fellow McRib fanatics. They can also sign the "Save the McRib" petition and explore the BPFAA (the Boneless Pig Farmers Association of America) website, bonelesspigs.org, a fictitious organization that promotes the good will of boneless pigs. Hmm. OK. Why spend all this money if the product is just going to be dumped? Oh wait, silly me, they're not dumping the product, they're renewing demand by making us feel sorry for a bunch of boneless pigs. That's it.

The Wilford Brimley-like videos are pretty funny though.

by Steve Hall    Nov- 2-05    
Topic: Online, Strange, Viral