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
Create Your Own Scott Pilgrim Avatar July 10, 2010Briefly: We’re starting to see a lot of these lately, though I’m not sure why. Over at the Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World official website you can create an avatar of yourself or anyone else. The site lets you export the picture out in a variety of formats. See my… Read More
Seven Psychopaths: Help Charlie Find His Shih Tzu September 23, 2012Seven Psychopaths is a comedy action film from CBS Films with an odd, yet strangely alluring, premise. Christopher Walken and Sam Rockwell are dog thieves who unwittingly steal a dog from Charlie Costello, an unpredictable gangster. After the break, find out how Costello has gone public with his efforts to… Read More
Write A Campaign Song for Zach Galifianakis! July 27, 2012Warner Bros.’ The Campaign stars Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis as rivals in an election for a seat in Congress to represent their small district in North Carolina. You have a chance to get in on the fun by submitting a campaign song for Marty Huggins (Galifianakis). Get the details… Read More