Los Angeles based advertising agency Stun Creative has just revealed that it was behind the viral video surrounding the fictitious product known as the “Stun Fone,” a device that promises users the ability to transform their iPhones into powerful stun guns. The campaign was devised as self promotion for the agency to underscore the company’s name (Stun), and its philosophy about creating advertising and marketing campaigns that “Stun” viewers. (Most recently, the agency produced the television launch campaign for “Conan” on TBS.)
Utilizing nothing more than a simple video โ purposely shot with an amateur “homemade” quality โ and the use of viral marketing through social media outlets including YouTube and Twitter, the founders of Stun Creative, Mark Feldstein and Brad Roth, have been quickly overwhelmed by both the consumer and media response to their phony Stun Fone invention, which they unleashed November 8. Since that time, CBS News, the Wall Street Journal, Creativity Magazine and the Los Angeles Times have written about the faux product, with each questioning whether or not the product is actually legit or a hoax. (CBS News.com says, “Whether this is a hoax or not, at least the video is entertaining and yes it proves once again how far shock value goes on the web.”) The video has also generated global buzz, with online stories running in Germany, Russia, Japan and Israel — even a Korean news organization requested an interview.
In the Stun Fone demonstration, which can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr0lxnkNZEw an actor portraying an MIT graduate named “Jeff Esteghlalian” claims to have just invented a “really cool accessory for the iPhone, which turns your iPhone into a stun gun with a voltage of 90,000 volts — just enough to shock someone without really hurting them.” Jeff then goes on to demonstrate the Stun Fone on a friend and a black belt karate master, while we later see a woman using the device on her cheating boyfriend. The viral piece ultimately promotes the phony website, www.stunfone.com.
The faux marketing campaign culminated today with a press conference streamed live on the Internet over www.stunfone.com, in which Stun Fone “inventor” Esteghlalian even challenged Apple founder, Steve Jobs, to attend, to verify that the device actually works. The press conference, like the Stun Fone itself, was completely false.
Says Roth, “We implemented this campaign solely to illustrate the power of a great idea. In today’s universe, you don’t have to be heavily funded to present a new idea through social media; you just need to be highly inventive. In less than one week, we’ve actually received over 20,000 requests for orders for the ‘Stun Fone’ product from every corner of the globe.”
Adds Feldstein, “It all started from a single YouTube posting. In creating the video, we deliberately combined two elements guaranteed to get attention online – a comedic ‘Jackass’-style prank and the promise of a wildly new iPhone technology. We’re always being asked to develop and craft marketing campaigns on behalf of our clientsโฆso we thought this time it would be fun if we did one for ourselves.”
For media reaction to Stun Creative’s “Stun Fone” campaign, please see:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504464_162-20022494-504464.html?tag=mncol;lst;1
http://creativity-online.com/work/stunfone-stunfone/21798
http://onespot.wsj.com/gadgets/2010/11/09/a/729206056-stun-fone-iphone-accessory-youtube/
About STUN CREATIVE
Launched in 2000 by principals Mark Feldstein and Brad Roth, Stun Creative is an award winning, Los Angeles-based advertising agency and production company that specializes in writing, directing and producing promotional spots and campaigns for cable and broadcast television networks as well as the major studios. Stun’s clients include TBS, TNT, FX, Bravo, ABC, NBC, E! Entertainment Television, Discovery Channel, AMC, Nickelodeon and 20th Television, to name a few. Most recently, Stun produced the TV campaign for the launch of Conan O’Brien’s new late night show “Conan” on TBS. Stun Creative is located at 5757 Wilshire Blvd, Suite # 600, LA, CA, 90036. The phone is 323/460-4035 and the web is www.stuncreative.com.
