Activision admits Bike Hero is viral marketing

Author: Harry Butler
Published: 21st November 2008
Comments (19) Stumble
Activision admits Bike Hero is viral marketing

Bike Hero might be fake, but it's still undeniably cool

No doubt in last few days many of you will have marvelled over the awesome "amateur video" recently posted onto Youtube of a film maker playing Guitar Hero with a bike. The footage is fantastically well choreographed, with the rider cycling over the familiar guitar hero note patterns painted onto the ground in with correspondingly flashing LEDs fitted to the handlebars that are perfect time to the music.

While the level of skill required to create the general awesomeness of the video had many cry foul of viral marketing, others were willing to give the makers the benefit of the doubt simply because it was cool. Although it’s now been revealed by MTV (makers of competing plastic instrument-athon Rock Band) that the whole thing is indeed a PR stunt by Activision, makers of the Guitar Hero franchise.

Rather than a product of the “Brierwood Vandals,” and shot in one take, the video is actually the result of an all night location shoot in North Hollywood by viral marketing company Droga5, who you might also remember from such classic internet hoaxes as spray painting Air Force One.

In an interview with MTV, Brad Jakeman, chief Creative Officer for Activision defended the video, although did admit that there had been “some filmic magic,” used to create the handlebar LED effects. Jakeman also said that Activision “Wanted people to first figure out it was something in the marketing realm and then dig in and have more of the conversation that we’re having about how it was done,” – as you would when you’ve spent all that money on making the video in the first place.

Were you taken in by Bike Hero or did you know it was fake all along? Do you feel cheated when companies use viral marketing to promote their products or has is just become part of the way products are sold on internet? Whatever your take, let us know in the forums.
Quote Veles 21st November 2008, 12:54
I have obviously been living under a rock.
Quote Dannythemusicman 21st November 2008, 12:59
I saw this two days ago and I did think wow that is pretty damn awesome! I did think at the time it looked a little 'too' awesome... but tbh I did want to believe that it had been done by some chavs with far too much time :-p

It's still an awesome vid though IMO
Quote identikit 21st November 2008, 13:09
Quote:
Originally Posted by Veles
I have obviously been living under a rock.

+1 First time I've heard of Bike Hero
Quote Blademrk 21st November 2008, 13:16
Saw the thread for it in general, but haven't had a chance to see the video.
Quote Nuffenburger 21st November 2008, 13:52
would of been cool if he set his bike on fire at the end
Quote Mankz 21st November 2008, 13:55
I don't care if its marketing or not.

Its an awesome video.
Quote sotu1 21st November 2008, 15:15
it's harmless. They came clean, and that sheer level of awesomeness and ingenuity deserves to be credited!
Quote salesman 21st November 2008, 15:51
I got bored with the video after a minute or so, it's kinda cool though.
Quote Langer 21st November 2008, 15:57
I saw this coming - it had an aura of 'being too good'.
Quote Faulk_Wulf 21st November 2008, 20:42
Cool is cool.
Quote Juppun 22nd November 2008, 00:42
Never seen the video myself either until today... though I think Activision should hire this guy though...

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mbMKbykr2Ec&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mbMKbykr2Ec&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Quote Langer 22nd November 2008, 00:47
Hahahah, that guy's so hardcore.
Quote Clocked 22nd November 2008, 10:58
I was trying to figure out how it had been done, easiest way i can think of is that the led lights on the handlebars were flashing at the right timing for the respective colours in the song they then added the note markers afterwards with some digital trickery...
Quote koola 22nd November 2008, 11:35
haha, awesome vid.
Quote Singularity 22nd November 2008, 14:01
Fake or not, I don't care. It's undeniably cool, and that's what matters :)
Quote Xir 24th November 2008, 08:30
Never heard of it.
Then again, youtube-surfing is not what I do.
...that and guitar hero et al not interesting me in the least.
Too much of a Wii-Party style game
Quote p3n 24th November 2008, 10:09
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xir
Never heard of it.
Then again, youtube-surfing is not what I do.
...that and guitar hero et al not interesting me in the least.
Too much of a Wii-Party style game

Inkeeping with your constructive approach, why do you think we care? :)

Saw the video the other day, thought the LED's looked fake not the stickers Oo
Quote Xir 24th November 2008, 14:00
You mean I should have written:

+2 First time I've heard of Bike Hero?

as it fits in with two previous posts in this thread?

:D
Quote nicae 25th November 2008, 00:54
I don't mean to brag or anything, but it was pretty obvious it was a fake/marketing stunt. Had I believed it, I would think it was cool! (The business side of it all kind of takes away the joy for me :P )
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