Oct 1 2007Tagruato is the New Hanso, Gimmick
For his hit, intentionally-cryptic series, Lost, JJ Abrams created the fictional Hanso corporation and spread clues about its origins on TV and the internet. Well, apparently fake companies are something he now thinks play a part in every good marketing strategy, and there are corporate websites for his new 1-18-08 monster movie. Now you can spend hours scrounging for vague clues at Tagruato Corp. and its subsidiaries, Yoshida Medical Research, Bold Futura, Slusho!, and ParaFun!.
Great work, JJ. Nothing gets me interested in a popcorn monster flick like exhaustive research of a non-existing company. Because the company has no basis in reality, I can rest assured that whatever information I'm able to draw from these websites will serve me absolutely no purpose once the film fades in popularity. And even until then, at best it will make me seem like a freakish fanboy with far too much free time. Perhaps his larger strategy is the alienation of his fans from the rest of humanity, forcing them to find solace in collecting memorabilia for Lost and whatever he's calling this monster movie.
Cloverfield Has Its Hanso [1-18-08 Project Cloverfield]
Reader Comments
1. nominus - October 1, 2007 11:49 AM
Amazingly, Cloverdale fred dursted allready and hasn't even come out yet. If that isn't one-upmanship, I don't know what is.
2. Dan - October 1, 2007 3:57 PM
I'm a huge fan of Lost, but this just reeks of Abrams copying whatever Lost does.
3. Dan - October 1, 2007 4:07 PM
I'm a huge fan of Lost, but this just reeks of Abrams copying whatever Lost does. "Hey, if they're willing to do some minor research on a series they've known for years, they'll be willng to do major research on a monster movie they wont see for months!" Besides, Abrams hasn't had a damn thing to do with the show since the first season. And since the show's doing just fine, I could give two shits about him.
4. GiantDrunkenRobot - October 1, 2007 4:52 PM
From a post on crowndozen.com, regarding Cloverfield:
"By the time this movie releases it will have been so over-virally-marketed that it will have actually given people AIDS."
5. RickO - January 8, 2008 10:00 AM
the idea was nice, but considering that a supposedly japanese site doesn't even allow you to click japanese as a language is kinda retarded. what are they just gonna wait til the movie get released over there?