Cardo Bluetooth, Mobiles and Popcorn

The Idea

Pointing the antennae of cellphones at popcorn heats them up and makes them pop, something that has been part of an urban legend for years.

This was originally seeded on multiple sites, promoted and took off to be seen by a few million. Many people asked if it was possible, how was it done, was it a hoax, with aWired blog post summing up the feelings.

Predictably, it was a hoax video, promoting bluetooth headsets – pushing the idea that cellphones emit radiation and heat so you should use a headset to protect yourself. Cardo Systems are the people behind the video and their page on the video makes it clear it is not true. This was confirmed by PR promotion of the video which started 2 weeks after it was first launched.

What I think

The videos were extremely well seeded and hit on a controversial subject, cellphone emissions, something there have been multiple scientific assessments about the real amount of energy being put out. The key questions being discussed were was it a hoax and how was it done, then who did it. This was a two stage campaign, the first get the video out and get some views,t he second admit you had done it and do a round of PR about it. The company behind it are getting a lot of press and brand recognition, but not all of positive. Gizmodo is just of many sites that are calling them out for using scare tactics to promote their product.

Cardo and their agency have trod a very fine line here between publicity and notoriety and I’m not sure which side it is going to land on in the end, whether they are going to be harmed or will they benefit from the publicity. If you look at the search results for ‘cardo bluetooth headset’ the results are mainly product reviews (which are mostly postive) and I see little at the moment about the video, so it could be a positive thing. You read about the viral video, look them up and see they make good product.

The Pitch

The email was full of slightly breathless enthusiasm about how much fun the video was and how it has taken off globally, as well as containing a disclaimer “The content of these videos are merely fictitious and humorous optical illusions, designed for entertainment. Nothing in the videos implies that mobile phones can make popcorn”. I had a follow up a few days later to see if I was going to write about it. The email was not personalised to me apart formthe name, I can see the same one going to many places; the follow up was also just a copy and paste with nothing extra and was just spam to me.