In 2012, we might all die like the world’s oldest civilizations (and don’t forget Nostradamus) predicted. And now there’s a movie to tell us all about what it might look like. As cool as that sounds, let’s take a minute to consider the campaign for this film — since the story it hopes to tell is maybe one of the oldest tales humanity has ever passed on. And for our sake, let’s hope it’s just a story (ooo-wee-ooo)!
2012 is a movie! And the above posted trailer gives us a glimpse into it’s literal earth-shattering scenes. But behind them is a campaign that required its creators only say, “Google ‘2012’”. The point wasn’t to get you to hit some nifty Web site (though there is one), it was to prod you into pooping thine own pants when you realize this thing is maybe going to happen.
A quick search yields a 334,000,000 results, many about the Mayan calendar with its baktuns and lunar cycles and species gestations. But the one the 2012 folks hoep you’ll eventually land on is InstituteForHumanContinuity dot org, a full blown effort (built by Big Spaceship) to save the human race. But how? Those of us who are smart enough to sign up for the lottery (and lucky enough to win a spot) will end up on giant Noah’s-ark(s)-of-the-future with giraffes and John Cusack, who finally isn’t in a romcom.
So what causes the end of the world? A planet enters the galaxy and gets all up in our shiznaz. It’s like the return of Jesus, but he’s a giant ball of rock and thunder and oh, he’s here to totally rock our socks back to the Big Bang. Good golly, this thing is interactive. I mean, how many movies get audiences thinking about their faith, or lack thereof, in an effort to get folks hooked? Not many.
In other news, Scientology claims it is everything you’ll ever need.
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