Ahh, viral marketing. Sometimes it’swildly successful, but, more often than not, it’s thebuttof the internetfor months. However, this doesn’t seem to be stopping Codemasters, the developers behindDiRT: Colin McRae Off-Road,from whipping up their own little guerilla advertising scheme.
Flickr, the most easy-to-use and voyeuristic photo-sharing community since sliced bread, is the proud new owner of shabby viral marketing.Enter Dirty1CMD, ostensibly a fan of the Colin McRae series who is salivating at the thought of its next installment. Not only is he likesoo stokedabout this game, but he wants you to be too:
Basically every crash is spectacularly different and harrowing enough to leave you wide eyed, jaw dropped and sweaty handed.
Whether or not this sounds higly suggestive of something entirely different than off-road racing is beside the point. The point is that Mr. Dirty’s entire profile reads like a heavy handed press release. Even worse is his preemptive apology:
I’ve not added anybody as a contact who wasn’t into Rally, cars or Videogames.
Sorry if anybody feels like they’ve been spammed. I’ve tried to be subtle.
You tried to be subtle? You have failed, sir. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love viral marketing as much as the next guy, but, Codemasters,c’mon. At least make afake blogor something. Oh, and if you guys were wondering, the gamecomes out in June.
[Viathebbps, big thanks toTopherfor the ‘shop.]
