Dark Knight Viral Ad Campaign Options

[Supersprynt]

So I am not sure how many of you know about this sorta thing, but viral marketing has started to be used alot. Never more so than the Batman Begins sequel, the Dark Knight due out next May.

Definition:

# any advertising that propagates itself. When Hotmail users send e-mail, they unwittingly infect the recipient with the tagline at the bottom of ...
www.expedite-email-marketing.com/internet_marketing_glossary_internetmarketingtermsdefinition.htm

# A campaign that uses word-of-mouth or “tell a friend” mechanisms.
multichannelmerchant.com/webchannel/affiliate/online_glossary/

# Marketing phenomenon that facilitates and encourages people to pass along a marketing message.
www.cpseo.com/glossary.html

So basically, a Dark Knight website will ask you to do something, and then something happens and then the fans do another thing, and so forth. I thought I'd bring it to your all attention how out of control it's gotten.

These are all websites involving The Dark Knight/Gotham City:

http://www.whysoserious.com/
It didn't start here, but this site has been up awhile, and led to alot of new things. Fans were given clues to take photos of certain letters around the nation and this letter was uncovered - a photo of the Joker is behind the paperwork.
http://www.rorysdeathkiss.com/
Then they were asked to take pics dressed up as clowns - you can see this by clicking the photo.

So then the note on the bottom was sent. Participants who sent photos got actual copies of a printed Gotham Paper: it was then released online:
http://www.thegothamtimes.com/

This led to nearly a dozen other sites, seemingly useless, but all devoted to advertising and clues:
http://www.thehahahatimes.com/
http://www.rememberinggina.org/
http://gothamnationalbank.com/
http://www.wearetheanswer.org/
http://gothampolice.com/
http://www.gothamcityrail.com/
http://www.whysoserious.com/personalityprofile

This led to a couple email addresses:
letterstotheeditor@thegothamtimes.com
stories@rememberinggina.org

This led to people emailing them; and in return:

f you've finished my quiz, then it's time for the next step in the interview process, something to test your aptitude. Spaces count:

* Eighth
* Sixth
* Eighth
* Ninth
* Ninth
* Second
* Fourth
* Second
* Third

Which led to this site: http://www.whysoserious.com/mausoleum/

Supposedly the clue for the safe was given at the end of the Personality Profile, but I don't know where this comes from because I haven't gotten any clue after doing the quiz. Supposedly it was "Time for Taffy" which can be related to the Gotham Times. Answer: 7:38. Adjust your clock and then try opening the safe

That led to the discovery of:
http://www.gothamusd.net/
http://www.gothamcab.com/
http://www.acmesecuritysystems.com/
http://www.gvafoundation.org/

So if your interested in this stuff; check the websites out, maybe discover another? It's quite the interesting advertising they got going here.

[xs94st]

dayum. that is some slick stuff. i'm pretty sure i would not be able to solve these kinds of things.

reminds me of the site notpron..most addicting online game that does not involve shooting people, but rather looking for clues, clicking pictures, learning html code, opening up the source files of different websites while collecting clues to the next URL that you must enter in the address bar.

crazy stuff. i wish i was that smart

[Supersprynt]

It's pretty crazy they create all these websites just to spur some talk among people who are keen on it. I guess it's the best way of tapping into a young audience who doesn't get offline.

[Supersprynt]