Marketing Stunt Sends Three ‘People’ Soaring Super-Human-Style Around NYC
- Posted on January 31, 2012 at 5:42pm by
Liz Klimas
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If you saw people flying around New York City in the last few weeks, don’t fret. You’re not losing your marbles. You actually may have in fact seen people flying around NYC — only they’re really remote controlled planes made to look like people.
As part of a marketing campaign to promote the movie Chronicle, the planes created the illusion of people flying. How did New Yorkers respond? As the following video shows, they whipped out their phones to take photographic evidence:
Tech Crunch has more on why this marketing tactic was chosen:
Michael Krivicka from Thinkmodo explains: “Since the three main characters of the movie have the ability to fly, we came up with the idea of staging a few “flying people” sightings around NYC. We achieved that illusion by having 3 custom-made aircraft (which were shaped like human beings) fly above designated areas in NYC and NJ.”
Tech Crunch’s Jay Donovan then goes on to voice his own thoughts, shared by many, about this tactic:
I personally think it’s a ballsy, creative and unique advertising tactic, yet I struggle with wondering how a person would tie the two things together — the movie and the freaky sightings.
In my mind, I guess the optimal scenario would be that a person who had already seen the movie trailer, would later see flying people and then make the connection. Or a person might connect the dots after a sighting, when seeing an additional advertisement for the film. If you never see the trailer at all, you might just end up calling the police or your local Area 51 support group for advice.
Whatever the effect, I am still a proponent of these kinds of marketing exercises and I don’t think this is money spent in vain.
On Twitter, the general sentiment is that the technology is cool and the film is well-done, even if it is part of a marketing ploy that was originally unclear:
Given that the video has more than a half million views within a day of its posting, I’d say it accomplished its goal.
[H/T Gizmodo]
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Secret Squirrel
Posted on February 2, 2012 at 11:23am.
Report Post »Probably the first time New Yorkers looked up in years.
Mr.Fitnah
Posted on February 2, 2012 at 5:44amPretty cool only the severely feeble minded would be concerned.
Report Post »charleyrocks
Posted on February 2, 2012 at 8:57amI am just wondering in the end why would someone take a video of a man taking a video of the event? did someone really see this. Or was it a hoax on film
Report Post »DD313
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 11:40amWhat does the FAA have to say about this? Are these treated as model planes with a severely limited ceiling? Due to the skyscrapers, the minimum passenger plane altitude has to be higher than 500 feet in New York. Recently, wasn’t there some news about the possibility of small drone attacks on urban targets?
Report Post »Lesbian Packing Hollow Points
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 12:14pmThey are not passenger aircraft. As such, where and when they are flown is largely a matter of common sense for the RC pilots. As long as they are not autonomous or rocket-powered, the only role for the feds in this is the allocation of the RF spectrum for the purpose of the radio control signals.
Report Post »The Dark Side
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 1:25pmReally? I cannot speak to the marketing aspect of this (did it work or not) but the idea is great.
I certainly do not think we should be living in fear of everything and certainly not rogue drone attacks. I suspect anyone with modest intelligence can tell the difference from a fast moving (got to get there now) drone attack and these meandering motorized kites.
My thought from the Dark Side!!!
Report Post »Lesbian Packing Hollow Points
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 9:56amSaw this kind of thing a couple of years ago. Those “people planes” were painted up like the Man of Steel.
Flight is a simple matter of thrust to weight ratioes. Generate enough thrust versus the vehicle’s overall weight, and you can make a brick fly.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_KSD1g31hMBU/TUIHzc4aYLI/AAAAAAAABno/Xs5uCOB1hO8/s1600/Space-Shuttle.jpg
I’ve seen lots of funky and freaky forms of airframes lately. Someone made one that looked like the NCC-1701-D Enterprise from ST:TNG. It‘s really weird seeing a starship cruise across the sky when you’re not used to it.
Report Post »grannyrecipe
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 6:35amThis doesn’t come across to me as new or innovative marketing but rather like something they would do in the fifties.
Report Post »Armed Patriot
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 6:15pmWay too cool. I wonder how many traffic accidents they caused. LMAO.
Report Post »ryguy1985
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 4:41amUsually when there is THIS much hype for a movie, It means the movie sucks ass.
Report Post »stang289
Posted on January 31, 2012 at 10:31pmNice chemtrails too over NYC http://treasurecoastskywatch.blogspot.com/
Report Post »db321
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 3:01amI want one!
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on January 31, 2012 at 9:02pmI’d like to see them do that over the WH…. that would be funny!
Report Post »ThePostman
Posted on January 31, 2012 at 9:00pmOh, and “firsties”!
Report Post »LeadNotFollow
Posted on January 31, 2012 at 9:00pm…
Report Post »Weird things that look like flying people, over New York City. Really, is this a good idea?
9-11 is still too fresh in everyone’s mind. I think my first thought would have been terrorists.
ZaphodsPlanet
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 12:09amI‘d have to say it’s about 100,000 times LESS scary than BO allowing Air Force 1 to be flown around Manhattan like a tour aircraft. Obama actually scared the crap out of people in NYC for a freaking photo op…. I don’t seem to remember flying people coming in and bombing the World Trade Center towers do you????
Report Post »ThePostman
Posted on January 31, 2012 at 9:00pmGood marketing ploy.
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