Will "Scarlet TV Series" be Red in the Face?
Hey, have you seen the commercial for that new tv series, Scarlet? I love a kick butt heroine and it has that cute nerdy guy from C.S.I.:NY, A.J. Buckley.
Cool. So what is it about?
It's by the guy who created Supernatural and Smallville, so it's going to be good.
But what is it about?
Um...
That's pretty much what I discovered when I went to look up information on Scarlet. Even when I went to the official website, I couldn't find any plot or backstory. So who is Scarlet, the elusive star with a mysterious smile?
She's a virus. And no, not in a cool Terminator android kind of way. She is part of a viral marketing ploy to sell LG XCanvas Scarlett LCD TVs a "series" of five tvs that cost between $1500+ for the 32 inch to almost $5300 for the 52 inch. Thats over $100 an inch for all you mathimatical types. Her red eye seems to indicate some infrared technology.
For more proof just check out the subliminal advertising spotted by some attentive youtubers:
00:16 - "We're going to put her in every home in the planet"
00:21 - "What do you mean she's going to change TV forever?"
00:49 - "The evidence is staring you in the face"
00:54 - "Things aren't always what they seem" i.e., this is not a real tv show
00:28 - Notice the tv behind the actress
While it seems to be a decent viral marketing campaign, I can't help but think quite a few people are going to feel cheated when, instead of a new tv show airing on monday, they find out that Scarlet is another expensive tv. I suppose some will be struck by the cleverness of the ad, but after a long writer's strike is it really a good idea to tease the many people that are clamoring for new shows?
At least it's less creepy than Texas Instruments "It's the mirrors" commercials.