27
Feb'08
To Obay or not to Obay?
Mysterious pharmaceutical-style ads for “Obay” popped up for a few weeks in bus shelters and streetcars and various other banner locations throughout Ontario in late February. By themselves, they are somewhat controversial, tongue-in-cheek, and indescript, save for a fleeting reference to “the makers of WhyBecauseISaidSoTM“. – No websites. No actual trademarks. No real product.
Here’s the timeline, after the initial appearance of the ads:
- Joey Devilla reports the mystery
– Probably the most linked article related to Obay, it got people talking and sharing theories. - Toronto.24hrs.ca reports the CBS Outdoor connection
– A little digging, and the organization responsible for setting up the campaign was discovered. A spokesperson for the company teased: “The next phase will be revealed in a couple of weeks.”
- Torontoist digs around and speculates a college connection
– Among various theories presented by blogreaders and Obay enthusiasts, was one connecting the campaign to Colleges Ontario, ad advocacy organization representing 24 of Ontario’s colleges. - Mitchell Gerskup confesses to the ad campaign
– undoubtedly a joke to pass the time, someone decides to claim the (uncharacteristically expensive) campaign as an attempt at ‘culture jamming’. - Torontoist confirms that Colleges Ontario is behind the campaign.
– Colleges Ontario releases a media alert (PDF)
“Thankfully, Obay isn’t real.” – Phase 2
- Newswire reports the official news
– Feb 25 / The news is now public and the Obay campaign enters its second phase - Ontario students respond to the campaign
– Some Ontario students see a semblance of hyporacy in the message of the campaign - Canoe.ca reports on Obay
– Entering phase two, more details are revealing about the campaign’s upcoming plans
To view a collection of photos, visit the Flickr Obay pool, or check the direct search for “Obay” images on Flickr.
Tags: obay
Categories: Viral General
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on Wednesday, February 27th, 2008 at 9:59 am.
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