Not Like Mike: The Jordan-Utah Flash Fiasco Alex Gerage, December 11, 2009 In what may be the first major viral marketing event in the history of sports (at least to my knowledge), the NBA Developmental League’s Utah Flash is reaping the success (and failure) of an elaborate campaign. Ryan Corazza has the scoop at ESPN. Apparently, Flash flans were under the assumption they were going to see Michael Jordan and Bryan Russell play a one-on-one basketball game at halftime of Monday’s game to benefit charity. It would be a rematch of the final seconds of the 1998 NBA Finals. The problem was that Jordan never said he would do it. The other problem was that he never said he wouldn’t do it. So this past Monday, after the local paper reported seeing Jordan around town, the buzz began. A video of him surfaced on YouTube eating at a local establishment. A record crowd showed up to the Flash’s home opener to see the halftime festivities. There, they learn the truth. The man being reported as Jordan was not like Mike. The event had been staged. The faux MJ. The YouTube video. The planned pickup game (to be fair, an invitation was extended to Jordan, but he never replied). It was all the plan of Flash owner Brandt Andersen to sell tickets and drum up interest in his team. Did it work? Yes, but not without angering the already pocket sized fan base. He’s since apologized on his blog and offered refunds. For those that measure the success of a viral by the amount of publicity that is generated, good or bad, then the Flash’s undertaking is a massive success. The story made the front page of ESPN.com earlier in the week, and the YouTube video of the phony Michael Jordan now has over 300,000 views. Word has undoubtedly spread, and if you ask one to name just one NBA D-League team, I would bet they would say the Flash. For those that believe a viral is only as successful as its end result, then the embarrassment and disdain many feel towards owner Brandt Andersen is fitting. Here’s a video of the crowd finding it out it’s a hoax. I want to know what you think though. Would you consider this viral successful? Or do campaigns need to have a worthy payoff? Let us know below. Viral Marketing
Viral Marketing NBC’s “Hannibal” Posts “10 Fun Facts About Cannibalism” Video January 30, 2014With NBC’s Hannibal returning for a second course in February, we’ve seen all kinds of promotional videos either recapping what happened last season or teasing what to expect this season. One video takes a more interesting approach to marketing the series by showing us “10 Fun Facts about Cannibalism.” Check… Read More
Call Jonah Hill and He Just Might Babysit for You September 8, 2011September 8, 2011It’s hard to find a sitter now-a-days. You got to screen everyone just to be sure that you will see your kid when you come home. So why not trust Jonah Hill. Sure he may have some questionable babysitting methods, but don’t let that deter you, why not call him… Read More
WonderCon Wrap Up: Interesting Booths and Gallery March 21, 2012December 28, 2012This was our second year covering WonderCon, the comic book and geek convention that is sort of the little brother to Comic-Con. You can read all of our previous coverage on this year’s event here and see my random gallery from the convention here. After the break I give my… Read More