Publicity Stunt
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Virgin Media coats millionth TiVo in Gold (Gold!), always believed in your soul
Companies might not be able to mention that big sporting event, but that doesn't stop them from being clever. Virgin Media UK is one such enterprise, which decided to award its millionth TiVo customer with a gold medal in the form of a similarly-colored TiVo box. Rather than risk the ire of the IOC's lawyers, the company used the moment to (perhaps sarcastically) celebrate the release of Spandau Ballet's Gold. Bundling bassist-turned-soap-star Martin Kemp into a van, he turned up at the door of customers Allan and Christine Ward with the glistening PVR and a 3D-ready TV to surprise the couple. We don't know if he told the husband and wife from Nottinghamshire that the HDTV market is like a high prison wall, but we hope the gift of a new home entertainment system leaves them standing so tallllllllllll...
Kraft vending machine teases children with adult-only pudding dispenser (video)
We've seen odd and law-swerving vending machines before, but none as meanspirited as Kraft's collaboration with Intel that only gives pudding samples to adults. The unimaginatively titled iSample denies the youthful its sweet nectar by taking a facial scan and determining dessert deservedness based on biometric data, like how far apart your facial features are. Part experiment, part publicity stunt, Intel is trying out technologies that could recommend products based on age. The company also claims it may retrofit the technology into existing machines to let companies study who's buying its products; Kraft is clearly in it just to deny children some pudding. To see if you have spent enough time at the fountain of youth, head down to Chicago's Shedd Aquarium or New York's South Street Seaport, and take your place in the line of parents ordering one for their progeny. Check the promo video after the break to see the machine wiping disappointment all over the kids' little faces.
Google's 1Gbps broadband offer brings out the crazy in municipal officers around the States (video)
You'll be aware by now that Google's cooking up an experimental high speed broadband network, which is currently in the process of collecting applications and nominations from interested communities. Given the limited coverage planned -- anywhere between 50,000 and 500,000 people -- there's understandably a lot of competition to get your small town on Google's radar, and city officials all around the USA have been doing their utmost to grab some publicity for their locale. Duluth mayor Don Ness can be seen above taking a dip in Minnesota's icy Lake Superior (with his unfortunate underling Richard Brown taking a fish to the face), while others have held parades, danced, invented a "Google Fiber" flavor of ice cream, and even swam with sharks for the sake of that precious fiber. Duluth, however, is the only place officially endorsed by a senator, and you can see Al Franken promote the city's virtues on video after the break. [Thanks, b3ast] Update: We've now also got video of the actual dip in the water, slide past the break to see it [Thanks, TheLostSwede].
Fake severed limbs are totally hot right now
Occasionally, the gaming industry gets hooked on the most bizarre marketing trends, such as ARGs, and laughably unbelievable product enthusiasts. However, even with our usually spot-on industry clairvoyance, we didn't see this one coming -- for the second time in a month, a developer used fake severed limbs to attract attention to their ultraviolent title. Sega, promoting MadWorld, recently scattered monotone severed arms (all holding copies of the game) across London. Man, Londonites have got to be getting sick of these shenanigans.We hope this trend comes to a grinding halt before other companies can hop on the bandwagon. The thought of a major metropolitan city whose desensitized residents shrug nonchalantly when they notice human gristle littering their streets makes us a tad uncomfortable.[Thanks, Tagg.]
Capcom publicity stunt loses realistic fake limbs in London
A Capcom Europe publicity stunt for Resident Evil 5 took an unexpected turn when organizers lost some fairly realistic-looking (and quite) fake severed limbs. Gamezine reports the publisher held a competition in London earlier today, where participants were asked to find bloody body parts hidden around the city (the winner received a trip for two to Africa). Things went a tiny bit awry when not all the appendages were discovered by the limb hunters -- and were no longer found in the organizer's designated locations.Capcom is asking people who find the limbs to return or dispose of them in a "careful manner." For "added gore," chicken livers were used to make the parts more realistic and could be harmful due to bacteria -- if you found a severed appendage in London, don't eat it. Although residents did complain to police during the competition, no charges were made. We're not even going to discuss what would have gone down if this stunt had been attempted in Manhattan.
Mercs 2 gas giveaway causes 'chaos' in London
While a similar publicity stunt in LA went off with relatively little drama, it appears the Mercenaries 2 petrol giveaway in London was "irresponsible and dangerous," according to local residents. The BBC reports that traffic was gridlocked as drivers waited to get their £40-worth ($70) of gratis gas. The promotion started at 6:30AM and ran until police apparently shut it down. Local residents were quite upset about the traffic and honking the stunt caused in their neighborhood. Lynne Featherstone, MP for the district, stated that while a lucky few got free gas, "hundreds of residents have faced misery." She's demanding an apology. We're sure that EA is real sorry about all the free publicity and we're positive those people with tanks full of free gas are even more sympathetic. [Thanks to all who sent this in.]
Man stages Wii Fit experiment to lose weight, gain fame
About a year ago, one morbidly obese (er, a tiny bit chubby) man began a quest to find out what happens when you stop being polite and try to exercise via Wii Sports (see above). Apparently after losing 9 pounds, dropping two points from his BMI, and 3-inches from his waist, he's ready to go again, this time with the Wii Fit. Sure, it sounds like a second-rate Super Size Me publicity stunt -- and it probably is -- but who doesn't want to see just how lean the Wii's newest accessory can get you? Now, the tubby 191 pound man will run himself through a rigorous Wii Fit program for five shocking weeks. The stunt has already scored him an early Fit from Nintendo, so there's no telling where this could go. We expect to see an Adonis or skeleton when it's all over, pal -- either will do.
Land Rover nav system used to guide C-130 cargo plane
In a publicity stunt whose failure would surely overshadow the on-camera mishap experienced by Mercedes while demoing their Brake Assist Plus last year, the Land Rover marketing team loaded a 2006 LR3 onto a C-130 cargo plane and had the pilots fly from France to Corsica using only the SUV's navigation system. Luckily for Team Land Rover, the flight originating in Nice went off without a hitch, and the resulting three-minute documentary will be available online to showcase the nav system's ability to to guide drivers (or pilots) even off-road. Meanwhile, earthbound drivers in the UK, birthplace of Land Rover, are still unable to use their own GPS receivers to avoid driving over cliffs and into rivers.
