Vintage Lotso Commercials

I have always been a fan of viral marketing. It adds a whole new dimension to the excitement that leads up to a highly-anticipated movie, and it feels as if you are sharing an inside joke with the director.

The above videos are viral marketing for Toy Story 3 in the form of "vintage" commercials for the Lotso Huggin' Bear from 1983.

Initially, I thought it was an actual vintage toy, but quickly changed my mind. First of all, unlike the other new toys (Chatter Telephone, Ken, etc.), no one has yet to mention the existence of a Lotso Huggin' Bear. Also, the YouTube user MrCrazycommercials has a video that was linked to by Lee Unkrich only three days before the Lotso commercial went live. There is no way that that is a coincidence.

This is awesome viral marketing. It is believable, funny, and gets me excited about Toy Story 3. It is very well-made and convincing; the details, such as the VHS-quality and cheesy 80's music definitely add to the commercial's effect.

The Lotso Huggin' Bear is available for pre-order at DisneyStore.com. Toy Story 3 will come out in theaters on June 18.