Attack of the Viral Marketing

You would think Lost, a critical darling and object of fan obsession, wouldn't need help drumming up excitement for its season 4 premiere. Even eight months without new episodes failed to deter fans from seeking clues to that flashforward featuring a suicidal Jack desperately seeking a way back to the island. So to complement the sometimes knotty but intriguing storylines, the show's marketing team created an elaborate advertisement campaign to coincide with the premiere. Part story and part scavenger hunt, Lost's viral marketing enticed hardcore fans and gave them (some) clues to the island's mysteries. Yet, is such a complicated endeavor worth the risk? JJ Abrams, creator of Lost and producer of Cloverfield, another viral sensation, would definitely say yes.

Lost's viral marketing began when fictitious Oceanic Airlines released a statement announcing their reopening after the disappearance of Flight 815 forced them to shutdown. Soon enough, billboards advertising the company began popping up around the world. Each included a url for the company's website. But all wasn't well for the once defunct airlines; both the website and the billboards were soon hijacked by someone promoting another site, find815.com. What followed was a mad dash by fans for clues as to what exactly was going on with their beloved show.

A similar scramble for clues occurred last summer after the release of a monster movie trailer which featured the shocking image of a beheaded Statue of Liberty. Given only a release date and JJ Abrams' name, moviegoers flocked to the web for answers. What they found was viral marketing that included everything from fictitious company websites to MySpace profiles. Once the movie was officially titled Cloverfield, a buzz reminiscent of The Blair Witch Project had built up to a fever pitch and didn't let up until its release last month.

Abrams and crew had succeeded with what had previously been a hit and miss game: creating a colossal "must see" quality around a project without saying much. Letting the audience participate created buzz from the inside out. Both projects debuted to large audiences, all hungry for the next clue.