October 23, 2004

Hanks Makes it Flat. 'nuff said. Guy in an excavator crushes things.

I'm pretty certain that this site is subversive advertising for the cell phone found here., How do we monkeys view subversive web adverts? Granted, they're not as annoying as pop-ups, but is it cool/funny? or just annoying and misleading. (Though for the record I totally loved the Mini cooper one.)

posted by Debaser626 20 years ago
  • Hmm. Interesting. If it is viral marketing, they certainly found a very scary crazy-looking Pommie dude to front it. I've been to Milton Keynes. I spent a weekend there one Sunday afternoon.
  • Actually, you're right, that phone isn't even available yet, from what I can see, and the guy is seen using it all over his site in the photos. What would a crazy-ass excavator dude from Milton Keynes want with this bluetooth bit of bumf? Very suspicious. Nice phone, though. Very Star Trekky. I have a soft spot for anodysed aluminium. I'm not gonna buy one, though, sorry advertisers.
  • Reminds me of David Letterman's steamroller crushing fun from 1983. I thought the faux hysterical owner theme was a little distracting... it would have been cool to see an up-close look at the bikes being crushed.
  • Once he accomplishes his task with that belly, then I will be impressed.
  • What really got me suspicious of its authenticity is the video - it's got obviously post-production date and time, plus the swearwords are bleeped out - a little suspicious from an amateur guy. But as a piece of viral marketing it's successful - that phone looks pretty damn cool. I'm such a pawn...
  • The viral marketing thing, unfortunately, saps a lot of the funny from this, but it's still worthy of a sly chuckle nonetheless. I know people who live in Milton Keynes, and it's a total poo hole. I think the Milton Keynes angle is part of the manufactured funny. One chap I know who escaped from MK once said that MK sucks the very life from you, until you no longer have the will to leave. That's very true.
  • If the silly thing can hold more than 30 text messages, I'll get it next year. /mobile phone slave Milton Keynes is pretty close to where I'm living! I've always wondered what it was like after reading a reference to it in one of Terry Pratchett's novels.
  • Well, it worked here at least. :-(
  • Well if it's viral marketing its one of the most adroit, and subtle character studies of an obsesive lunatic I've ever seen. The video is very suspect, but I could buy that the guy or his freind put in the time to put in bleeps in whatever editing software they used to get it ready for the web. It just doesn't read like some carelessly constructed ad campaign: I was really pleased with this one because it involved a double manoeuvre: First I used the bucket to knock the plant pot off the window box of a nearby house (I actually knocked about three whole window boxes down with it!!) then I used the caterpillars to trample it. It was a slick, all in one move and the first thing me and Clive tried to film. Unfortunately Clive was still getting to know the camera and completely missed me flatten it! A real shame!! :( Maybe moto hooked up with him after the site was esptablished?
  • What is the problem with Milton Keynes? I'm about 5500 miles away but I'm curious nonetheless.
  • Well, it loads like a geocities page. Must be part of the deception.
  • Er, the picture of the spinning phone at the bottom of the page links to the Motorola phone site. So I'd say, yes, this is astroturf.
  • hahahaha! Milton Keynes! a couple years ago i did a semester-long study of their city planning efforts. they take great pride in recycling! they have indoor skiing (and snowboarding). here's a map.