#283; In which Directions are Given

My friend Dave pointed me to this very cool video of an elaborate Rube Goldberg device. But another thing that's interesting about it is that the creators of the device are using the clip to promote their skills as viral marketers. You can use their "marketing videos" to "increase awareness of your brand." I have nothing against advertising, per se -- it's how I earn my living -- but it seems to me that there's something fundamentally backwards about setting out to create a "viral video" and then hunting for a message to attach to it.

I just saw another website where a kid is trying to get people to buy his (really awful) original art on eBay with the straight-faced promise that "the more you buy, the more chances you'll have to win a big cash prize that I'll pay out once you all make me rich." There seems to be no shortage of people online who are dying for the chance to sell out. But putting a price on any sort of online entertainment is problematic, because the audience will always have free alternatives. Trying to sell out before anyone's buying is putting the cart miles before the horse. But I guess you don't need to convince everyone -- you just need to convince one dumb marketing executive with deep pockets, or failing that, GoldenPalace.com.