New Sony Movie continuing viral cinema marketing

Meant for Friday, April 11^th- computer wouldn’t let me sign on

I guess I’m not the best YouTuber, because I just found out on the Wired blog network that there was a 40-second clip posted on YouTube in March of pure mayhem outside of an apartment building, sniper rifles and all. It was posted by “EricsVideoBlog” and he asks that people subscribe to his account in order to find out what happened in this clip which he mysteriously got his hands on…

…Turns out its just another viral hoax done by the people who seem to be doing it best these days- movie studios! It turns out that it was a viral marketing tactic created for Sony Pictures new film, Quarantine, which is set out for release all the way in October. The clip received at least a million views the weekend it surfaced, and at least 400 comments about the clip itself. They released the full trailer yesterday, and along with the first clip, have at least 2 million views.

Since the release of the first clip, “Eric” has created around 30 video entries asking people to theorize what happened in the clip. He has also referred to a new character in this viral marketing “story,” which has joined the investigation and spills about it in his “blog.”

These kinds of movie campaigns are very creative, and would seem to attract that same kind of people who are into alternative lives such as Second Life, since they are simulating an occurrence and getting the public involved with the story. My only wonder is; is this gonna get old? Are these campaigns going to turn off cynics such as I to going to see a movie that tries to trick people into getting wrapped up in it? Guess we’ll have to see what other movies and movie studios jump on this bandwagon.