Here at the offices we have an elaborate ticker tape system set up that feeds tips through a robotic assistant who then hands them off to us, assuming they’re important enough. A few moments ago, the robotic assistant actually shot herself, and along with our bizarre anthropomorphizing of a fictional piece of metal, we thought robotic suicide was slightly abnormal.
Walking over to investigate, we found a press release jammed in Lola’s intake slot (yes, her name is Lola). Pulling the paper free, we only glanced at it for a moment before bursting into laughter, then tears, then flames, respectively. You can find the press release past the jump, but for those with shorter attention spans — and no desire to ignite — here’s a relevant quote:
Forest Whitaker and Mountain Dew have teamed up to develop “DEWmocracy” – a virtual world that will allow consumers to create the next Mountain Dew beverage online. DEWmocracy is the first-ever interactive, story-based online game that will result in a consumer-generated beverage innovation.
Consumers may now go to www.dewmocracy.com to enter the DEWmocracy experience that features a live-action short-film and an animated game featuring mystical 3D characters. The player’s online journey includes various challenges that give them the tools to develop every aspect of a new Mountain Dew drink, including the color, flavor and label graphics.
Whitaker narrates the live-action video and developed all of the elements of the DEWmocracy experience, including the story, the live-action film, the animated characters, and game design.
You ok? Need to catch your breath? Need a Xanax?
Forest Whitaker — Emmy, Oscar, and Cannes Film Festival award-winning actor Forest Whitaker has apparently teamed up with Mountain Dew to narrate an advergame. We’re assuming literal mountains of cash were involved — or an offer to fix that screwed up marble he calls an eyeball — but even with such incentives, how do you go from portraying Idi “I shot a man in Reno, then I shot 7,000 people in Uganda” Amin in The Last King of Scotland to hawking carbonated green water that has corrosive properties similar to lye?
It’s no wonder Lola shot herself after the system crash that must have resulted from this logic-defying release. She was such a sweet girl with hopes and dreams, and a poster of Ghost Dog on her wall, but now she’s a forcefully aerated metal skeleton — all thanks to Roc Forest Whitaker and his insatiable love for carbonated beverages.
Hit the jump if you hate your life and want to die.
FOREST WHITAKER AND MOUNTAIN DEW LAUNCH
“DEWMOCRACY”
Giving Power to the People
Interactive Game Invites Consumers to Develop
New Mountain Dew Product
PURCHASE, N.Y. – November 7, 2007 – Forest Whitaker and Mountain Dew
have teamed up to develop “DEWmocracy” – a virtual world that will allow
consumers to create the next Mountain Dew beverage online. DEWmocracy
is the first-ever interactive, story-based online game that will result
in a consumer-generated beverage innovation.
Consumers may now go to www.dewmocracy.com to enter the DEWmocracy
experience that features a live-action short-film and an animated game
featuring mystical 3D characters. The player’s online journey includes
various challenges that give them the tools to develop every aspect of a
new Mountain Dew drink, including the color, flavor and label graphics.
Whitaker narrates the live-action video and developed all of the
elements of the DEWmocracy experience, including the story, the
live-action film, the animated characters, and game design.
“Mountain Dew offered me an amazing opportunity to create a mythic
universe using all forms of storytelling that will allow those who
participate to develop their product,” said Forest Whitaker. “It has
been a wonderfully creative experience and I was able to work with
extremely talented artists. Ultimately, the drink will be on the street
and in stores where you get to see it, touch it, taste it, drink it,
make it a part of you; bringing you from the virtual world to the real
world.”
When players enter the game at www.dewmocracy.com, they are asked to
select a drink flavor and will later join one of three teams that will
develop different “candidates” for the next Mountain Dew line extension.
Each team will “campaign” for its beverage candidate. The winning
Mountain Dew candidate will be decided by online votes, making the
selection process a true “DEWmocracy.”
“Our goal is to entertain, empower, and engage our consumers through
DEWmocracy,” said Frank Cooper, VP of marketing for Mountain Dew. “Dew
consumers are some of the most passionate around and we know they’ll be
anxious to create a new product. We were fortunate to have Forest, one
of the great creative minds of today, help us expand our brand and
develop a product through a new model – story-based consumer
innovation.”
Whitaker worked with a range of partners, including Matti
Leshem/Protagonist (developed initial DEWmocracy idea), Tony Bui
(screenplay and narration writer), Syd Dutton/Illusion Arts (matte
paintings, game environment drawings), Holmes Defender of the Faith
(live action production), Anne-Marie Mackay (development producer and
treatment writer), Ben Richards (character illustrations), Andrew Tucker
(3D character animation), WhittmanHart Interactive, (game and web
development) and Susan Zwerman (visual effects and animation producer).
About Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew is a product of Purchase, N.Y.-based Pepsi-Cola North
America (www.pepsi.com), the refreshment beverage unit of PepsiCo, Inc.,
in the United States and Canada. In addition to Mountain Dew, Diet
Mountain Dew, Mountain Dew Code Red, Mountain Dew LiveWire and AMP, its
U.S. brands include Pepsi, Aquafina, Sierra Mist, IZZE, SoBe, Mug,
Tropicana Twister Soda, Tropicana Juice Drinks, Dole and Ocean Spray
single-serve juices. The company also makes and markets North America’s
best-selling ready-to-drink iced teas and coffees, respectively, via
joint ventures with Lipton and Starbucks.
