network:
Submerged hoax
The story goes that the founder of Seattle's Ivars Seafood Restaurant anchored billboards underwater in the Puget Sound anticipating that in the future people travelling in their submarines would see them.
In August the restaurant raised the billboards and showed "decades-old documents" supporting the story. This week it has been revealed that the whole thing was a wonderful hoax which cost $250,000! (including follow up media spend).
The hoax led to a huge sales spike, with 83,000 clam chowder cups sold compared to 19,000 in September 2008.
So...at 75c a cup, that's revenue up $48k on a spend of $250k (boo.com anyone?) - seriously though, a great hoax idea and its sure to make Ivar's a tourist destination meaning they'll sell as many "I Ate At Ivar's" caps as they do clam cups...Love it.
Posted by: Tom Denford | 20 November 2009 at 01:19 PM