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Anatomy of a Publicity Stunt / Viral Marketing Campaign

Anatomy of a Publicity Stunt / Viral Marketing Campaign.

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Anatomy of a Publicity Stunt / Viral Marketing Campaign

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  1. Anatomy of a Publicity Stunt / Viral Marketing Campaign

  2. The NHL's Atlanta Thrashers pulled off one of the most elaborate and inventive viral marketing stunts in recent pro sports history recently; one that featured a stolen Zamboni, a police chase in rush-hour traffic and a giant plush bird behind bars.

  3. The stunt began with a coordinated blast of breaking news at 8:10 a.m., via the official website and Facebook page of the team: "THRASH ARRESTED." The story went like this: Thrash, the team's mascot, was so distraught over the lack of attention being given to his Thrashers, who were a surprising fifth in the Eastern Conference (17-11-3) but averaging just 11,789 fans per home game, that he "stole" a Zamboni from the team's practice facility in Duluth, Ga. He attempted to drive it 25 miles on I-85 to Phillips Arena in downtown Atlanta to draw the attention of hockey-apathetic locals.

  4. Alas, he was "arrested" by Gwinnett County police, as chronicled by a "news report" posted on the team's website. Footage of the police chase was also posted online.

  5. Twitter buzzed with curiosity over the incident. Facebook had a running thread of "Free Thrash" comments under an image of the jailbird. Later, the team offered an update on the "legal" proceedings, as Thrash was "found guilty" by a judge of, ahem, "grand theft Zamboni." His verdict: The Thrashers must sell at least 5,000 additional tickets to the remaining December home games in order for Thrash to be "released from jail."

  6. For the sentencing, local news media even joined in on the act. A FOX affiliate reported on the happenings with no attempt at humor online, and other blogs and outlets joined in. It also gained coverage from the local paper (Atlanta Journal Constitution) and even ESPN! http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/sports/Thrash-Jailed,-%27Steals%27-Zamboni-20101215-am-sd http://www.bizofhockey.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=418:thrashers-mascot-steals-zamboni-to-sell-tickets&catid=33:nhl-news&Itemid=51 http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=5923977

  7. Questions for Class Discussion

  8. What is viral marketing? What is a publicity stunt? Which do you think this provides an example of? Could it be both? Discuss as a class.

  9. Why do you think the Atlanta Thrashers decided to launch a publicity stunt? Was a viral campaign part of the plan? What do you think they hoped to accomplish with the effort?

  10. Was the stunt/campaign a success???

  11. Are you promoting, managing, marketing any events at your school? Could a publicity stunt or viral campaign be an effective tool for helping you reach your event goals? How would you implement your strategies?

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