Ad campaign for HBO's 'True Blood' confuses thirsty consumers

Cool idea. I love when there is high concept promotion. Like the fake Dharma ads in Lost and the Cloverfield trailers that made you think it was real.

I thought it was a good campaign. I’ve been looking forward to this show. I am a bit confused why people would want to be a synthetic blood drink, though. Seriously? How could you think this was a real beverage?

I saw the ads for this fake blood drink and actually went to the website and totally believed everything it said. I thought at the time that it was a really odd thing to try to sell and I wondered if it was a marketing campaign for something. So…I looked around the site to try to find the disclaimer or the true ad for whatever it was fronting for and could never find it. Even when you look at the fine print at the bottom, it doesn’t say anything about HBO or a TV series. I am one of those folks who is pretty good at picking up subtle product advertising or viral campaigns, especially on websites, and I was totally duped on this one.

I work at WB as a tour guide and have had the opportunity to show guests some of the Tru Blood sets. When I tell them the name of the show and explain the concept, they all start talking about the ads they’ve seen around town. One lady even said she tried to buy Tru Blood at a liquor store!

Hey honesty I really thought it was a real blood at the beginning before my research, I read the guy in the comments above saying that people are just stupid, if was so they would not sell synthetic urine at the store either it would be just another “fake” advertising. I do believe that in the age of advanced technology we live everything is possible with enough research and study, and if people does drink animal blood without getting sick, I don’t see why in this crazy world some like that wouldn’t be possible to produce, if they already “legalize” marijuana in some parts of the country as a medicine they will in a close future come up with something that will “revolutionize” the human race even more than that.

I have never read the books either and don’t know the story. But, I just saw a delivery truck this morning that plastered with Tru Blood, just like any Pepsi or Frito Lay delivery truck. Yea, I didn’t know it was for HBO either until I read the line “HBO says drink responsibly.” They could have done the same ol’ clip montages or impending doom photography to promote this show, but they obviously know it has been done, done, done before. But to take an artifact from the movie, Tru Blue, and use it as the strategic hook to engage people is genius. And if mere mortals were duped, I am sure they weren’t angry.

I wish HBO would start selling a TruBlood soda to coincide with the beginning of the series. Who wouldn’t drink cherry soda with a “TruBlood” label? Or better yet, a different flavor (all blood red) for each blood type. I can envison “Blood Orange” for “O”, “Apple-Cinnamon” for “A”, “Black Cherry” for “B”, and “Absolute Berry” for “AB”. I’d buy a bunch of 6-packs for my vamp friends.