Faceless Aliens

This has already been posted in the forum, but I've received too many emails about it to ignore it. "Faceless aliens" have been spotted attending various high-profile events in the UK, including Wimbledon and the Harrods summer sale. The "aliens" are people wearing masks. So why are they doing this? According to the Mail Online, theories include:

the possibilities that they are limelight-seeking pranksters, performance artists or that they are at the centre of a viral marketing campaign for an as-yet unknown product of forthcoming horror film.

I'm putting my money on a viral marketing campaign, but for what, I don't know. Maybe the remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still, coming out in December, which stars Keanu Reeves as an expressionless alien? (Some would say Keanu Reeves has played an expressionless alien in every movie he's ever been in.) But that's just a wild guess. And the problem with that theory is it doesn't explain why the faceless aliens are appearing specifically in the UK.

Update: So it was a viral campaign for Lotus Eagle. Mystery solved before I even posted about it.

Extraterrestrial Life Pranks

Posted on Mon Jul 07, 2008


Comments

It's a viral campaign for Lotus cars.
Posted by fk  on  Mon Jul 07, 2008  at  08:46 AM
here's the website for the campaign:

http://www.facelesspeople.com/

yawn.
Posted by fk  on  Mon Jul 07, 2008  at  08:47 AM
I mentioned this on another blog that posted about this campaign, but I think it would be more appreciated here in hoaxville.

What if some mischievous souls made their own faceless masks and started showing up at events doing things counter to the Lotus marketing message, such as wearing hats with competitor's logos or making controversial political messages, thereby hijacking this viral campaign? Imagine the confusion. Imagine the press conferences with Lotus officials angrily denouncing the fake faceless people! Surely that's more interesting than an ugly yellow car that you can't afford anyway.

Better yet, lets generalize this to all viral marketing campaigns. These things almost always incorporate some sort of mystery over who is behind it, which can be easily subverted through counterfeit websites, appearances, posters, etc.

I propose the creation of a Secret League of Anti-viral Agents that will befuddle these contrived marketing campaigns that grab our interest with something that's initially clever or strange only to depress us and further cynicalize us when we learn they're just selling some crap no one needs. True strangeness must vanquish the banality of marketing!
Posted by fk  on  Mon Jul 07, 2008  at  09:12 AM
The most expressionless actor is Steven Seagal...

But I hate to think that a new movie with him is comming out.
Posted by Unfairly Balanced  on  Mon Jul 07, 2008  at  10:50 AM
fk:
Count me in! That's a fantastic idea and one could have a LOT of fun with it!
Posted by Vitajex  on  Mon Jul 07, 2008  at  11:26 AM
'Faceless people' revealed as marketing stunt for new Lotus Eagle
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/digitallife/main.jhtml?xml=/connected/2008/07/04/dlfaceless104.xml
Posted by Moo  on  Mon Jul 07, 2008  at  12:40 PM
Fk, some serious fun could be had with your idea.
I'd participate.
Posted by Lucy Boomcrackle  on  Mon Jul 07, 2008  at  04:05 PM
That's just one of those sites that counts on people misspelling a REAL site's name, Darren. They get the URL hoping that someone will buy it from them eventually.
Posted by Cranky Media Guy  on  Mon Jul 07, 2008  at  06:56 PM
Heh. It's just a marketing campain for the Lotus Eagle.

It's a car...
Posted by Taylor  on  Mon Jul 07, 2008  at  07:10 PM
WHY would someone want to remake "The Day the Earth Stood Still," thus spoiling one of the greatest movies ever made???
Posted by Big Gary  on  Mon Jul 07, 2008  at  07:40 PM
I can't wait for the remake of "Citizen Kane" with Adam Sandler as Charles Foster Kane.
Posted by Cranky Media Guy  on  Tue Jul 08, 2008  at  12:34 AM
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