February 16, 2006
Pheratones in the New York Times
Pherotones, ringtones with names like Testeroni or El Cuddlero that claim to make you irresistible to the opposite sex (posted several weeks ago in Ringtonia) have been written up in the New York Times who reveals that everything about Pheratones is part of an eleborate and carefully planned viral advertising and marketing campaign - including fake entries in Wikipedia.
"Rather than the revolutionary product that Pherotones promised, the ads were the beginning of a buzz marketing campaign under the guise of a fake product (Pherotones) and a fake doctor (Dr. Myra Vanderhood) with a fake Web site (Pherotones.com), all for a real client with less than $250,000 to spend.
The real client is Oasys Mobile , a little-known cellphone content provider who wanted to introduce its brand inexpensively — with a nontraditional campaign that it hoped would grab the attention of its desired 18-to-24-year-old demographic.
... After placing ads on blogs like Gawker and Defamer, Pherotones.com is now averaging 10,000 page views a day.
.. A video featuring a mock wedding ceremony where the ring tone on a male guest's cellphone compels the groom to run from the altar and passionately embrace the stunned guest has been downloaded about 3,000 times.
... Last week on Technorati, Pherotones.com was in the top 10 percent of the most popular blogs worldwide. It has also attracted attention on insider blogs like AdRants, a Web site that closely tracks the advertising industry.
-- Now Oasys will be able to test the campaign's effect on sales: starting today, the Pherotones Web site is revealing its client by directing visitors to Oasysmobile.com."
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