Acclaim's Turok plublicity stunt.

August 13, 2002 7:49 PM

Acclaim's Turok plublicity stunt. Video game maker Acclaim is allegedly attempting to convince five poor saps to change their name to Turok for a year to promote their video game. However, none of the information on the about page checks out. For instance, there really is a Marketing Science Centre but the name "Simeon Cantrell", appears nowhere on it (nor do related links in a google search.) Is it a stunt or reality? The AP seems to have bought into it. Do you?
posted by kurtosis (7 comments total)

Seems like it's just the publicity stunt it's meant to be. Dr. Simeon Cantrell's provoking marketing book's ISBN number 0552546925, is just one tidbit that reveals the underlying concept. Knock knock. Who's there? Acclaim. Acclaim who? Acclaim I'm a publicity stunt.
posted by noom at 8:04 PM on August 13, 2002

Yes, and that Ben Stein-ish picture of the good doctor (complete with bow tie!) looks...well, it looks like a wink.
posted by BT at 8:29 PM on August 13, 2002

Acclaim, they're the same people that pulled that "Advertise Our Game On Your Tombstone" stunt and got all that free publicity for Shadowman. I just saw this on fark, is every weblog going to fall for these publicity stunts every time Acclaim puts out a game?
posted by bobo123 at 8:44 PM on August 13, 2002

penny arcade from a couple weeks ago, about another one of acclaim's publicity stunts
posted by lotsofno at 9:49 PM on August 13, 2002

Yeah, well, I knew a chick who had your name tattooed on her ass.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 10:04 PM on August 13, 2002

Keep up the brilliant detective work kurtosis and noom. Though this is ultimately harmless [I'm sure they're giving away the prizes, and who cares about your name?] I'd love to find out who the person in the photo actually is. Any clever computer toys out there that can help?

And if you're thinking of entering the competition take the advice of Simeon Cantrell himself - an anagram of his name gives "I'll enter no scam".....
posted by meech at 4:01 AM on August 14, 2002

publicity? Its working. New names or not.
posted by tomplus2 at 7:37 AM on August 14, 2002