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
Warner Bros. Wants You To Be A Part Of The New Lego Movie March 22, 2013Legos are literally the building bocks of creativity and with just one simple piece a child’s imagination can run wild. Warner Bros. had acquired the rights to the toy brand and will make it a full-fledged film. Not only have they revealed the blocky movie title, but they have also… Read More
Mystery Movie “1952” Could Have Viral Campaign October 19, 2012March 4, 2013Earlier in the year, it was reported that LOST and Prometheus writer Damon Lindelof was working on a sci-fi script with Brad Bird (Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol) set to direct. Now we have more details on the mystery project, titled 1952, including the fact that it might have a… Read More
Baz Luhrmann Wants To Share His Vision For “The Great Gatsby” With You Using The Gatsby Journal May 8, 2013Director Baz Luhrmann has decided to share his process in adapting the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel The Great Gatsby by compiling series of notes on the production through an online interactive journal called The Gatsby Journal. With plans to update on a weekly basis, the first bits of information provided… Read More