Comments on: Are hoaxes good marketing?

By: Jay Ramirez

Jay Ramirez — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 22:28:37 +0000

@xirclebox I would agree that if a commercial made claims that could get people hurt, it would fall into “unethical”. Good point.

And Tiger Woods dribbling the golf ball is NOT a hoax. He used to practice while waiting at junior tournaments as a kid. It’s been replicated a couple of times on YouTube:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=P2ygjAHElVw

Thanks for your comment!

By: xirclebox

xirclebox — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:39:37 +0000

Commercials are meant to grab our attention and create some buzz about the brand or industry represented.

I would venture to say that a hoax is unethical for product promotion when its real world application can result in serious injury or death or personal ruin. For example when Volvo reinforced their car in the commercial with steel beams to keep it from being crushed. They had to fork over alot of $$ to avoid a deceptive- advertising lawsuit.

However commercials like Tiger Woods juggling the golf ball using only his club. Was it a hoax? Yep, but it was great to see and it’s not far from tricks he performs when on tour.
Just like Vick. The dude throws hard! HArd enough to knock a man off his feet? eh.. still fun to watch though.

Not every commercial is “true”. Most are very boring. But in this Viral day and age, commercials need to step out and entertain the viewer just like the anything else on TV.

By: Jay Ramirez

Jay Ramirez — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:16:46 +0000

@MediaMisfit I think level of absurdity helps as well. If Powerade claimed you could throw the football 10 yards farther, then it would be misleading instead of a funny way of saying it “propels” you. Great point!

By: MediaMisfit

MediaMisfit — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 21:46:06 +0000

I think it is important to differentiate a hoax from blatant false advertising. Beauty and weight lose products that use photoshopped pictures in their ads are probably more unethical that some fun videos.

By: Jay Ramirez

Jay Ramirez — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:33:02 +0000

@brandbulldawg Yeah, the office freak out clip made its way around the office earlier this week. While it’s well known now it’s a hoax, what a great way to build excitement for the movie. Blair Witch did something similar, remember?

By: Brandon Deloach

Brandon Deloach — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:28:02 +0000

So I totally believe Michael Vik can throw a ball 300 yards, but an exploding Powerade bottle? What a bunch of crap.

By: brandbulldawg

brandbulldawg — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:33:50 +0000

Hey,
Hoaxes can be good viral marketing if done properly. If you click the url I copied, it is another hoax for a movie. I think the target audience needs to be kept in mind always. Some people think this type of marketing is boring and some people will think it is awesome. From an ethical perspective, I think that most people have a b.s. filter in their brain for most advertising.