'Cars 2' Viral campaign

Above you will find a viral advertisement for Cars 2 released by Pixar. What on the surface appears to be a low-quality commercial for a cheesy Emeryville Car Company is actually a clue that leads to, what Mr. Lasseter calls, in sticking with the subject matter of Cars 2, "top secret" footage from Cars 2.

The video, which is accessible through cars-n-deals.com, was recently promoted at WonderCon in San Francisco.

I won't spoil the fun of finding the link for you. You'll just have to watch the above video and keep an eye out for the clue (or call the phone number if you get really stumped) . . .

(Oh, and see if you can find the awesome Pixar Easter Egg in the ad, too!)

Don't worry if it takes you a few minutes to find the clue. Especially because the secret clip is totally worth it. Trust me. After seeing that clip, I am no longer skeptical about the awesomeness of Cars 2 (which is now pretty much a certainty).

Boy oh boy do I love viral marketing campaigns . . .

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Viral Muppets: 'American Woman'

In honor of Memorial Day, the Muppets have released the above video, American Woman. Great! Very funny. I love these Muppet Viral Videos. Keep 'em coming, Jim Henson Company.

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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.

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