Symantec redefines viral marketing with costumed Norton Fighter

So we've heard of viral marketing before, but marketing with anthropomorphic viruses? Well sure enough, Symantec's latest Japanese campaign for its 360 antivirus software pits costumed "trojan horses" and "worms" against the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers-esque Norton Fighter: vigilant protector of truth, justice, and hard drives worldwide (those with valid Norton subscriptions, at least). You can watch an Akihabara street play featuring Japan's latest superhero after the break, but for the best effect, check out the full-screen flash mini-site by following the Read link...

[Via Japan Probe, thanks Gaijin-san]

[Khalid Hussain @ Oct 4th 2007 9:59AM]

Thats the masked rider and not a power ranger if i'm not mistaken :P

Looks like norton is loosing it.

[Adoniteking @ Oct 4th 2007 11:29AM]

This is just plain marketing and not norton loosing it...companies have to take account of the difference in culture between the western and eastern world..you cant adopt advertising and marketing techniques used in the western world in countries like japan..its basically a doomsday scenario..In japan, they love their anime bright colorful writings and any robotic/futuristic qualities made to anything. Its a very exciting culture and atmosphere so dont blame norton for bring out their 93 yellow power ranger Halloween costume and tweaking it....NORTON PUNCH!! XD

[Alex @ Oct 5th 2007 12:59AM]

Kamen Rider...but yeah, it's more Kamen Rider than Sentai. If it were sentai, there would be 5 or 6 of them.

I think it's amusing. Not going to cause me to go back to norton though. Norton has become more of an annoyance than a help. Yeah, it can help with viruses and such, but was bloated and always held my internet connection hostage when it would first start up. Whenever I can get the same amount of protection in a small package for free why on earth would I go back?

[Anthony @ Oct 4th 2007 10:00AM]

Twirl, fake punch, fake punch, twirl. And twist. And duck. And punch. And pose, pose, pose.

[Yoshi Likes Boys @ Oct 4th 2007 10:03AM]

Yes, everyone should have some Sentaivirus software on their system.

[soul7963 @ Oct 4th 2007 10:05AM]

I can safely say that the best spent 9 mins 38 secs of my week. If only i knew what they were saying!

[stuff @ Oct 4th 2007 10:07AM]

All I saw in that whole thing was the full sized R2-D2 model that I'm going to make a special trip to Tokyo to get now.

[strider_mt2k @ Oct 4th 2007 10:28AM]

Shouldn't he look as bloated and invasive as their software?

You know, to make it as close to reality as possible?

[jon @ Oct 4th 2007 10:28AM]

i think their little play got cut off early. in the second act, the orange norton guy puts gimp collars on the two laptop users, pulling them up short whenever they try to go somewhere in a hurry, and he demands that they pay him "protection fees" every ten seconds. in the end, he ends up getting drunk and smashing all the dishes in the lady's house, shouting "you'll never beat me, you filthy viruses!" ninjas sneak in while norton man is passed out on the sidewalk and inject the users with a poison that turns them into zombies. it's a morality play.

[Mark @ Oct 4th 2007 10:29AM]

Bring back Norton's face plastered all over everything.

[suv4x4 @ Oct 4th 2007 10:45AM]

Why do we need costumed actors pretending to be malware, when the actual malware is in fact created by actual people.

Not scary enough without the costume? Won't buy Norton otherwise? Oh, poor security suite vendors.

[Rick @ Oct 4th 2007 7:59PM]

Well, as a life long Mac user there's no rain here. When you can count the # of mac viruses with your fingers you aren't raining on anyone's parade but your own by thinking mac's have anything to worry about. Sorry to rain on your 10,000+ virus filled parade.

[tekdroid @ Oct 4th 2007 11:03AM]

Hah.

Symantec software is, more often than not, the first thing to be removed when cleaning out a system of performance and infection problems.

IMO, any good name they had was sullied long long ago in a land far far away.

I guess this vid is an attempt at restoring credibility, tho it would be interesting to see how that occurs, outside of actually making decent software.

[strider_mt2k @ Oct 4th 2007 11:07AM]

Very well put.

I swore by them in the DOS/Windows days, but more often swear at them today.

[M @ Oct 4th 2007 12:11PM]

I agree, I will no longer use them. However, many seem just as bad.

They all seem to try and do too much at the same time.

I have been using Mircosoft OneCare, not bad but no x64Bit suppot...
M

[BobTurbo @ Oct 4th 2007 10:49PM]

Norton Antivirus 2008 (and 2007 to a lesser extent) is fine. It has quite a low impact on system responsiveness and performs very well on av-comparatives tests. Norton is just mindlessly bashed for eternity because they made such shit versions a few years ago.

Having said that, I don't use any scanner on my own system.

[nxtiak @ Oct 4th 2007 11:36AM]

Samething like what Garmin did spoofing Ultraman.

[kirby @ Oct 4th 2007 11:43AM]

Why am I thinking Norton man = Mafia?

Oh, sure.. We'll protect you...just make sure that subscription is up to speed, oh wait it isn't?

Well, until we get that money, we'll be damaging your computer, now until you start paying up, we'll be taking control here....

Then along comes Mcafee, and it's the Godfather trilogy all over again.

[strider_mt2k @ Oct 4th 2007 12:10PM]

Hey, yous sayin' yous aint prutected??

Show 'em the registry, Chalie!

[bob @ Oct 4th 2007 12:00PM]

i love that

[VicD @ Oct 4th 2007 12:09PM]

If Norton Fighter performs like Norton's software, we won't have to welcome our new Antivirus robot overlords any time soon.

[Rick @ Oct 4th 2007 12:14PM]

Or they could have just used an Apple ;)

[rzlmlchm009 @ Oct 4th 2007 10:55AM]

Sorry to rain on your parade, but Apple computers can get viruses too. They're just less common.

[Kurtis @ Oct 4th 2007 10:59AM]

Sorry to rain on your parade, but Apple computers can get viruses too. They (apple computers) are just less common.

[dj-kenpo @ Oct 4th 2007 12:39PM]

I really hate people's loose deffinition of viral marketting. it's not viral if it's not contagious.

[CosterMonger @ Oct 4th 2007 2:59PM]

Love the video, hate the product {though it is better then OneCare, the only care M$ ever gives}.

Makes me want to spin in a circle, if I ever get a virus... again.

Love those physical manifestations of computer viruses and their emoticon faces, their the real stars.

[booger62 @ Oct 4th 2007 4:08PM]

but does it run doom? ;p

[waiownsyou @ Oct 5th 2007 6:28AM]

Holy shit, are those Putties?! SWEET!

[secinfinity.com @ Oct 7th 2007 10:03PM]

Good marketing campaign for if not worst, one of the worse Anti-Virus in the world.
My PC is running 5x times faster after I removed Norton which came pre-installed in my laptop, plus I have now much lightweight AVG Anti virus along with Sygate Personal Firewall.

Those are free, lightweight and MAKES YOUR PC FAST !

[Kathy Smith @ Mar 24th 2008 3:13AM]

Has anyone out there heard about WideCircles.com. It seems like a way better service then wasting money on PPC. Apparently they are using refering websites ( forums, blogs, wiki, etc. ) and have a viral word of mouth distributed approach to it. My friend told me he got around 100 visits from single post which cost him $0.40c. I am going to give them a try today . In case you are intrested here is it. http://widecircles.com?s=imt1

[aradanasandhaya @ Apr 5th 2008 8:40AM]

I think it's amusing.I love it.

-------------;
Sandhaya

Did anyone out there give a try to Wide Circles or WideCircles. They are new word of mouth advertising platform, apparently they can push massive amount of messages through social network mediums like forums,blogs,wiki's and so on. They say that they only bill for posts active for minimum of 5 days and price seems pretty affordable. I am going to give Wide Circles aka WideCircles a try since I am tired of PPC fraud. http://widecircles.com%3c/a>