This Internet video stuff is really getting out of control. It was one thing when YouTube was just a stupid site for people to make stupid videos, post those stupid videos, and then waste their stupid time watching them. But now it has become something totally, totally unexpected: a venue for ingenious guerrilla PR campaigns.
We know. We're just as surprised as you to find out that the Internet has been co-opted by marketers. But this time, one has to admit, they were pretty damn smart.
A couple of filmmakers with a webcam, a cute actress, and endless faith in the appeal of cute girls on webcams managed to ensnare hundreds of thousands of YouTube users in the saga of "Lonelygirl15," ostensibly a home-schooled teenager making Web clips in her spare time.
When the premise was finally exposed as a fake last week, countless, um, "enthusiasts" were wailing and gnashing their teeth. But the utterly meaningless story got tons of play from major media outlets, ensuring that the forthcoming film/show/straight-to-DVD documentary will hit the market with a ready fan base.
Congratulations, webcam marketers. You've definitively proven that the population of the world is malleable and easily fooled. Now, start selling!
PR Play Rating:
1. Clueless
2. Ill-advised
3. On the right track
4. Savvy
5. Ingenious