A hoax news release that claimed Calgary-based pipeline company Enbridge Inc. would use human hair to soak up future B.C. oil spills left the company fuming Tuesday.
Got an email from The Yes Lab a few minutes ago. Here's just the first bit:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 15, 2011
ENBRIDGE HAIR HOAX EXPOSED
Group responsible offers free haircuts at Enbridge HQ at noon
Earlier today, the world learned of oil transport giant Enbridge’s strategy for handling inevitable oil spills along its proposed pipeline through pristine British Columbian wilderness: mop it up with human hair.
And contact info:
CONTACTS:
Shannon McPhail (Smithers, BC), Canadian PERM spokesperson, 250-842-2494, shannon@kispioxriver.com
Rick Smith (Michigan), US PERM spokesperson: 269-425-1822, permkzoo@gmail.com
Sean Devlin (Vancouver) , The Yes Lab: 778.321.7306, sean@yeslab.org
Go get 'em, fellas.
... And the "fuming" company managed to get the Herald to pull the story about the story too... Ahhh, the power of advertising dollars.
ReplyDeleteI presume they're fuming about 'official' media accepting hoax releases as true instead of checking them, rather than the subject matter of the release?
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the modern journalism world. Lack of fourth/fifth estate integrity oversight is all fun and games until it starts biting corporatists in the butt.
The idea of the hair/net booms as absorption for water surface spills is real enough technology. Did the Yes men recycle some old story and stick Enbridge's name in it? Why are the Yes Men picking on Enbridge?
Niles, there's a link in an updated post I did to a better story and youtube clip The yes Men did videos, hoax releases on corporate letter head, and also had people working the phones. Very slick. Wouldn't have been easy to spot as a hoax right off the bat.
ReplyDeleteIt's now in the "Weird" news section of the Sun
ReplyDelete