Viral marketing gone mad

I just caught an article in The Register about a promotion for the new Resident Evil game, Resident Evil: Outbreak which advertised by sending "unsolicited SMS text messages on their mobile phones telling them they are infected by the so-called T-Virus".

Now, there's a smart thing to do.

On the surface, it certainly seems like a cool idea. Yet, to those unsuspecting people who received the following message: 

Outbreak: I'm infecting you with t-virus, my code is <6 letter alphanumeric code>. Forward this to 60022 to get your own code and chance to win prizes. More at t-virus.co.uk

I'm sure many recipients thought it was anything but cool. In fact, there were so many inquiries about this, Sophos was prompted to issue an advisory on the T-Virus hoax.

CE Europe, who created the campaign, should have known better. Unsolicited emails or SMS messages are a not the way to run a viral marketing campaign. Nor is it acceptable to use the real threat of an electronic virus for promotional purposes.

Of course, it's generating press (I realize I'm guilty of perpetrating the crime), but I hope there's some public backlash on this issue.

This isn't permission marketing, it's "shock" marketing. Sure, it gets our attention, but do we want it to become common place?

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