Overhype

Overhype

by Mike Masnick





Run Around NYC So You Might Have The Chance To Buy A Pair Of Sneakers?

from the run-around-the-city dept

While it doesn't sound quite as fun as PacManhattan, Nike seems to be getting into the spirit of real world/wireless games by coming up with an advertising campaign that will send SMS text messages to mobile phones telling them where they can find a particular poster. When they arrive at the post, they're told to submit the special code on the poster back to Nike. Players get points for both the number of posters they find and the speed with which they get to them. If they "win" they get a chance to "pre-buy" a pair of new Nike sneakers. Winners get the chance to buy something? Doesn't seem like much of a win to me, but maybe I'm just holding out for those smarter sneakers. Also, to be honest, this game doesn't sound like much fun. It sounds sort of like a mobile version of "fetch." They tell you where to go, you go, and you retrieve a code and send it back to them. Where's the challenge?

5 Comments | Leave a Comment..

 

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  1. Improvement

    by Anonymous Coward - May 12th, 2004 @ 4:56am

    I think that thugs armed with chains and lead pipes guarding the posters would add challenge to the game.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  2. PR Disaster

    by bbay - May 12th, 2004 @ 5:15am

    What an excellent way to find a good place to protest Nike.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  3. marketing to idiots?

    by aNonMooseCowherd - May 12th, 2004 @ 6:35am

    A lot of marketing droids seem to think that their customers are just plain stupid. Maybe this stunt will show whether they're right.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  4. Re: marketing to idiots?

    by AMetamorphosis - May 12th, 2004 @ 7:06am


    Highly unlikely sadly.

    I'm sure plent of sheeple will line up for the chance to pre - purchase ( what a freakin' joke ) Nike shoes ...

    Why ?

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  5. challenge...

    by detone - May 13th, 2004 @ 11:48am

    the challenge is, the more time it takes, the less points you get,
    overall winners will get a prize (check on operation6435.com)

    if nike did something wrong, its the press release and its lack of info.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

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