Here's an article from the New York Post on this whole thing:
VIRAL, BUT NOT INFECTIOUS
By MANDY STADTMILLER
July 20, 2006 -- HI, advertiser.
Do I have your attention now? I know all about your bogus billboard and your fake blog, you dirty, sneaky, immoral, unfaithful, poorly endowed slimeball. Everything's been documented online.
The latest in viral marketing is brought to you by Court TV, spokespeople for the network confirmed yesterday, in what industry experts call a "shill marketing" move, whereby the people - that's right, dumb ol' you and me - are duped into believing a gigantic billboard in Midtown is for real.
First clue that this open letter from a woman scorned was 100 percent pure baloney came when bloggers spotted the same billboard in other parts of the city and in Los Angeles. That's odd, seeing as how poor, pilates-obsessed "Emily" wrote on her blog that she placed the ad strategically outside the office of "Steven," her supposed no-good philandering spouse.
Some of the more hilariously wide-eyed blog posts from the vengeful "Emily" read: "I had no idea this billboard would go over so well!" and "Steven and Laura have been doing a lot of f---ing lately. Now, it's my turn."
Yeah? Well, now it's ours.
"There will be people who get upset by this type of behavior, and it isn't worth it for your brand," observes CEO Dave Balter of BzzAgent, a word-of-mouth advertising company based in Boston that represents clients ranging from Anheuser-Bush to Ralph Lauren. "That's the jumping of the shark that I hope occurs with this more deceptive advertising. People get upset when they find out it isn't for real, and that isn't good."
People don't like being tricked, notes Mark Duffy, the man behind the ad-critiquing site Copyranter. "People tolerate advertising as it is," says the 14-year advertising veteran. "But now you're making me use too much of my brain on your product. I want to see an ad that gives a quick message. I get the message that Volvo is safe and it's done in a way that is enjoyable, and I remember it and it doesn't piss me off."
One of the more famous examples of viral marketing gone wrong, BzzAgent's Balter recounts, was Vespa's early 2000s campaign, where the company hired several comely young people on scooters to jet around major metropolitan cities, flirt and collect phone numbers. Only problem? It was the Vespa dealership who called the next day - not the beautiful people. Ouch.
"This [Court TV] campaign is borderline," Balter concludes. "At least they're not letting someone believe they're falling in love and then crushing their dreams."
And that's something Steven would totally do, too.
OMYGAWD! I just read her blog. Do you think it's real???
..how is this an Ad Campaign for Court TV... 
