Videos
(61)Screenshots
(23)Cheats and Walkthroughs
(64)
Videos
(56)Screenshots
(23)Cheats and Walkthroughs
A New Zealand marketing company was reportedly sub-contracted to create some buzz around PC and 360 game Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction* but apparently did their job a little too well. An actor showed up at an Auckland nightspot this weekend brandishing a gun, and patrons dove for cover. Someone shouted "he's got a gun," and drinkers hid behind their tables. Police were called, and issued a warning to the promotional worker once they had determined that the gun was plastic. Thus, what might have been a small-scale story New Zealand turned into international news.
This was not the intention of the marketing company, however...or so they say. Game promoters Monaco Corporation were indirectly responsible for the fake attack. They say they hired another marketing company to organize the promotion and had no idea that a prop gun would be used.
"This was by no means an attempt to get cops down there and get this sort of exposure... We do apologize, we shouldn't have had guns down there," said Duane Mutu, Monaco's marketing manager. "It was just marketing gone wrong."
Luckily, it's an amusing story instead of a tragic one. I could easily see how a masked, black-clad fellow brandishing a fake gun could end in multiple deaths here in the United States. Don't try that kind of thing in a state where guns are allowed to be worn openly; you won't last five minutes!
Source: NZ Herald
*The NZ Herald states that the promo company was hyping "Splinter Cell: Evolution" but I think they got the title wrong.
Comments are Closed
Comments
Displaying 1–20 of 20
goodbiscuits
What is this? IGN?
Risera5672
That wasn't very stealthy of him was it?
learnedfist
"Luckily, it's an amusing story instead of a tragic one. I could easily see how a masked, black-clad fellow brandishing a fake gun could end in multiple deaths here in the United States."
Actually, it would end in just one death, the death of the idiot scaring people with a phony weapon.
koolboricua
wow even feed readers use the blog as their marketing techniques for their products, just look at dingdong lol
Azeem259
This might be the worst promotional stunt since EA promoted Dante's Inferno. This just goes to show how expensive it is to create a video game nowadays because you never heard of publishers doing all these stunts before. What ever happened to showing a simple 30 second commercial with some gameplay and story?
codename76
The only bad marketing is no marketing.
djvexd
Alright...no more bong swats before marketing meetings.
Hammer&Mouse
New Zealanders Arnt Real People Anyways ahhahahahah
dsa0224x
he was trying to get someone to be his human shield so he can "mark and execute"...LOL
AngelsandDemons
I like kiwi fruit.
GoldBlaze
Well, people are now advertising this stint. It worked to that degree.
StrongestSaiyan
One of the problems with sub-contracting multiple times is that people don't check to see if something sounds like a good idea.
austin43
Whether or not it was their intention it sure did get the word out about SCC. and yeah X02 it would probably be bad if 2 guys showed up with assault rifles with chainsaws on the end outside a starbucks.
cryfordawn
The guy is lucky someone didnt really shoot him. What a stupid idea. Why not just strap hotdogs to his chest and say OHAI I am a terrorist
Warrior567
that really makes me want to buy SCC
kyoput
Who cares? It's New Zealand. So they're marketing guys are a little crazier than ours. Can't blame Ubisoft for that. It's not like they called them and told them "Hey, I'm outside this cafe with a gun. How would Sam Fisher handle this?"
X02
Desired results achieved (publicity) but in an incredibly stupid manner. Someone could've died. I remember watching a program about the Secret Service; one agent almost shot a teenager because his friends dared him to point a water gun at the President as he strolled by.
They really should have planned this more carefully. Let's hope they don't do the same if hired to promote Gears of War 3. That would turn out very ugly...
JustTheBeginning
Either they are incredibly stupid or just causing a publicity stunt. Seriously I hear stories all the time of kids getting shot and killed while brandishing an airsoft gun. Did this actor have a death wish or something? It would be like going into an airport and pulling out a fake pipebomb.
gravy666
Ubisoft should clean up their act, because their public relations has really gone downhill as of late.
the_azure_knight
This story will be on failblog by sundown
Displaying 1–20 of 20