There’s a nice look at Hollywood’s use of vagueness and involvement in “viral” teaser campaigns in this article from Columbia University’s Daily Spectator, featuring some input by me, which is nice.

Excerpt:

While comic timing and plastic-looking teenage boys might ultimately rock the box office, few things generate more discussion than a strategically uncommunicative ad. Forget the old-fashioned concept of the teaser trailer—the new advertising strategies are revealing even less and bringing the buzz into the streets and into your homes.

These viral marketing campaigns rely on intrigued viewers to spread news of the film via word of mouth and, increasingly, through the Internet. Because these campaigns often utilize free, user-friendly Web sites like YouTube and MySpace, it’s an easy mistake to assume that they are low-budget or unprofessional. However, these campaigns are the result of careful planning and research, created to best capitalize on our instincts to share and discuss that which interests us.

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