Just how dumb do they think we are?

Okay, so you're a corporate advertising agency who's just realised that YOUNG PEOPLE ARE INTO BLOGGING.

And you want to flog this month's new version of Coca Cola - "Zero Coke". What do you do? Well, you create a vacuous "philosophy" campaign (which doesn't, on close analysis, say what you want it to say*) and start spamming blogs.

And what can go wrong? Even if people start to criticise your spam campaign, notoriety just exposes more people to your message! You can't lose!

YOU CAN'T LOSE!

Well, unless people start using your medium to bag the product you're trying to flog. To directly reverse the branding you're trying to do. To use exactly the same tactic you're using (pretending to be "Joe Public") to contradict whatever it is you're trying to claim.

So, you're trying to portray "Zero Coke" as IMPOSSIBLY TASTY. You probably don't want people complaining on your site about it being weak, or foul-tasting, or comparing it unfavourably with competitors' products. You're trying to portray it as blokey. There are ways of countering that message, too.

On an unrelated note, it's very easy to create a fake, blokey-sounding identity on certain blogs, and make your own comments. It really, really is. You could call yourself "Tom", or "Kev", or "Rich" (or "Dave" or "Jase") and have fun with the role.

Not that I'd suggest you go over to any particular blog and start making mischief, of course. No, that would be mean. They might get all huffy and take the thing down! And wouldn't that be a tragedy, eh?

*If the "Zero Coke" philosophy is "why can't we have good stuff without the bad stuff", and their examples are all things which are, in fact, impossible ("Why can't we win an award for turning up to work every day?") or stupid ("Why can't life come with a remote control?") - then doesn't that clearly imply that the "Zero Coke" claim (that it tastes good even without the sugar) is just as unbelievable and unlikely?

UPDATE: OR, is the whole thing satire?

Is "the zero movement rocks" blog satire; indeed, is the whole campaign satire? (Satire with the subtle message of IF YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY PLEASE BUY OUR DRINK.)

I'd like to think so. I'd hate to think there was some PR company out there so patronising, so stupid, that they think we'd fall for something like that. I'd much rather think it was just some clever blogger showing that we ARE stupid enough to fall for a spoof.

But, sadly, I think we were on the money to start with.

UPDATE #2: No, apparently it was satire, after all. Still, it was fun while it lasted. And I presume real PR guys are going to be wary of trying something similar in the future...