Sony Ericsson goes viral with Xperia X1 marketing

Sony Ericsson is taking the viral route on marketing with its forthcoming Xperia X1, launching a new "alternative reality thriller" centered around a mysterious character named Johnny X. There's not much meat in the video the company is desperately trying to sneak into your daily YouTube diet, but at least we get to see action-packed chases, Memento-stealing plot points of the highest order, and one weird, seemingly backmasked utterance of "Johneeeeeeeeeee... X!" Hit the read link for the full clip, and check out another video after the break which helps to unravel the mystery.

[Via Pocket-lint]

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 10:38AM]

El DeBarge FTW

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 10:42AM]

Oh yeah the actual teaser video is actually pretty darn entertaining. I honestly forgot It was part of advertising and actually wanted to see the movie.

[OneLove Posted Sep 11th 2008 11:57AM]

Did I get debarge rolled?????

[kamenwati Posted Sep 11th 2008 2:19PM]

lol ah the 80's

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 10:46PM]

you just got debarged... that's a new one huh?

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 10:41AM]

Hey, how about you quit the stupid marketing and just release the f*cking phone already! It's going to be outdated by the time its released for Christ's sake!

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 10:46AM]

I hate it when companies try to do these really dramatic "This is not a hoax" videos.

[pastrychef Posted Sep 11th 2008 10:48AM]

Looks like a rip off of Memento.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 10:50AM]

Ugh...gay???

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 12:40PM]

Nice couple!

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 10:51AM]

Short Circuit was the best movie evar

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 10:54AM]

The second best is Short Circuit 2. I want a Johnny-5 phone.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 10:59AM]

I just want johnny five

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 11:04AM]

I'm willing to bet a lot of money ($80) that Johnny-5 wants you too. I bet Johnny-5 is mad crazy at SMS-ing.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 11:05AM]

Yep , along with second hand lions:)

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 11:05AM]

I think the best movie from that era was "The Neverending story". It was WoW before its time.!
without the expension packs.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 11:05AM]

ohh foo shooooo, have you ever seen him read through books???

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 11:12AM]

"The Neverending Story" killed my sense of wonder and imagination when I found out that it did indeed have an end. Oh, that was also the day I found out Santa and the Easter Bunny weren't real either. That might've had something to do with why I was so depressed on my 20th birthday.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 12:15PM]

no disassemble Stephanie!

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 10:51AM]

This should be Bond's phone.

007 : Quantum Of Sony

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 11:18AM]

I think 007 would be up with the times and be sporting an iphone.. but a limited edition one.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 12:50PM]

Dont make companies think of any more special editions D:

[Google Posted Sep 11th 2008 10:51AM]

Could this be why they are losing so much money? Instead of focusing on what is important. The handsets themselves.

[radesalvo31 Posted Sep 11th 2008 10:53AM]

I'm still trying to decide which video was more informative..

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 10:52AM]

sooo..... who's johnny?

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 10:55AM]

MDR! That's hilarious! I never get tired of that joke. You rock iRawk

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 11:00AM]

Thanks dude!!! I try really hard to think of clever things to post! Rock On!!!!!

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 11:03AM]

Right now I'm playing an air guitar solo to a sweet Poison song, but I still don't rawk as hard as iRawk rawks. I need more hair metal songs on my phone. How much memory comes with the iPeria?

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 11:00AM]

From what I understand in the video: one moment Johnny X is taking pictures with his interracial boyfriend using an Xperia X1, and the next moment his life gets flipped turned upside down and he's running from the authorities. My guess? They killed his boyfriend and framed him for the murder.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 2:36PM]

I voted you up for the Fresh Prince reference. Whether it was intentional or not doesn't matter.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 11:02AM]

Makes me want to beat up somebody at SE's ad agency. I dare SE to pay $$ for TV commercials of that time-wasting crap. Reminds me of the new Seinfeld-Gates commercial. :(

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 11:07AM]

it doesn't matter as long as i have enough room to buy unlimited apps from the app store!!

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 11:10AM]

I like Apple. "apps" means Apple, right? I want to go to the Apple store now.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 11:12AM]

Dude if there was an Apple store where I lived I would be there every day

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 11:13AM]

I have a spare bedroom and it's got all my apple gear in there with price tags on it.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 11:17AM]

Really??? can i come over??

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 11:20AM]

OMG d00d, ur like already here?? Can I has iPod Nano?

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 12:43PM]

This is really cute. I hope you two dress up as one of those horses for Halloween where one guy is the front and one guy is the back, because hilarity will ensue!

Unless, you're just one guy... you could always just be the ass.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 11:25AM]

Lame.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 11:13AM]

easter bunny isn't real? WTF!!

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 11:14AM]

i thought that video was for the actual phone, turned out to be just an amazing song

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 11:19AM]

Want to sing it a capella like a barbershop quartet? We just need 2 more peeps and we're set.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 11:24AM]

I'm in, dibs on soprano

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 11:28AM]

Imma go all Pavaroti on this. Tenors FTW!!!!!!!!

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 11:37AM]

It really sucks that the experia looks good, and is slim with the qwerty and all..... But the actual exeperience looks like it sucks just as bad as this dumb attempt to appeal to boring biz guys who likes crappy action flicks. Boooriing.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 11:50AM]

I'm sorry SE I couldn't make it past 1:49... paused... closed... I can't see this going viral. No, don't think so. It's just too much nonsense to me.

Q: What is it that I don't care about the most in the big, wide world?
A: The identity of Johnny.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 12:13PM]

are those two grown men leaning their heads together to take a picture on a cell phone?

hetero-fail.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 12:21PM]

The Johneeeeee-X was being said by a native Thai person. This is how they say it. I noticed the mobile number on the guys arm being a Thailand country code with a Bangkok city code.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 12:21PM]

churros

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 12:53PM]

The guy on the left looks like Sammy Sosa. The guy on the right looks like he's from "28 Days Later".

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 2:27PM]

First of all, Sony sucks. Period. Second - we all know that ALL marketing is nothing but lipstick on LIES. So it doesnt matter who they go with. They're going to LIE to you anyway.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 11th 2008 2:41PM]

You suck period, and I don't mean "end of statement" - I mean "vaginal secretion"

[MarcO Posted Sep 11th 2008 5:55PM]

With all due respect, I think you need a refresher anatomy course, pronto !

[eruh Posted Sep 11th 2008 7:00PM]

I thought that was Morphetus and neo

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 13th 2008 2:54AM]

Good grief, I haven't seen that El DeBarge video (or that movie) forever! Thanks, Engadget :) That brings back memories of simpler, lighthearted times.

I guess the budget was too low to get Steve Guttenberg in the video aside from a cardboard cutout of him (complete with movable mouth piece, lol), but then I thought I spotted him in the long wig and glasses, dancing, near the end.

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