GTA IV ads go guerilla in New York City

by Alexander Sliwinski { Jan 31st 2008 at 3:30PM }

With its April 29 debut only three agonizing months away, it's time for Take-Two and Rockstar to up their marketing for Grand Theft Auto IV. Citizens of New York City may stumble across wanted posters (pictured above at Lorimer and Grand in Brooklyn) asking for tips in capturing Niko Bellic (GTA IVs protagonist). If you've seen the guy -- or just want a special jpeg from Rockstar -- send an email to tips[at]libertycitypolice[dawt]com. If anyone stumbles across or can scan a cleaner image of the viral ad we'll be sure to post it.

Tags: ad, grand-theft-auto, gta, gtaiv, guerilla, marketing, viral

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

David @ Jan 31st 2008 3:36PM

I hope they don't put those up in Phoenix, cause he looks kind of looks like me. Or me like him...

StrangeBum @ Jan 31st 2008 4:23PM

You live in Arizona?

I live in Arizona!

Jerk Face @ Jan 31st 2008 4:41PM

@ David

You, apparently, look pretty bad ass! Good for you, buddy!

WebPimp @ Jan 31st 2008 5:07PM

Same here :)

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Jan 31st 2008 3:37PM

Can you imagine the mass panic that would have ensued if they had these kinds of viral marketing strategies in the 50's and 60's? Some people thought that gilligans island was real, for pete's sake.

mcatrage @ Jan 31st 2008 4:02PM

Man you really have faith in society. Personally I think we've gotten dumber so I expect more people to think this is real.

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Jan 31st 2008 4:10PM

They weren't dumb, just naive. Remember, they thought War of the Worlds was a real news cast.

FidliousWong @ Jan 31st 2008 4:10PM

Um.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_bomb_scare

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Jan 31st 2008 4:11PM

I think government has gotten dumber, but I think the common man won't think anything of it.

JS Beckerist @ Jan 31st 2008 4:52PM

LOL @ Fidlious. I was thinking the same exact thing.

NATO_Duke @ Jan 31st 2008 6:03PM

Just wanna throw this out there Wong - Ignignokt would indeed blow up the world if he had a 3rd dimension. Just a thought.

David @ Jan 31st 2008 3:38PM

What the heck? Hopefully he doesn't talk like me.

E @ Jan 31st 2008 3:38PM

I wouldn't really call this "Viral". Seeing as the name of the game is on the bottom with a website. Cool Ad though.

FOXHOUND @ Jan 31st 2008 3:45PM

See, publishers? It's possible to do viral/guerilla marketing without spray painting, farm animal slaughtering, or even LED 2-bit characters flipping the bird being mistaken for bombs.

...though all of the above was just as cool and/or funny. LoL. I wouldn't mind getting a copy of that wanted poster.

Chris @ Jan 31st 2008 3:44PM

Don't expect to see these in Boston. They'll have to call out the bomb squad and claim it was a terroristic threat.

LiK @ Jan 31st 2008 3:45PM

wow, pretty cool. ebay material right there.

ChiTownRuler23 @ Jan 31st 2008 3:47PM

i want one of these for my GTA collection, sum one start selling these on ebay please

FOXHOUND @ Jan 31st 2008 3:48PM

Are they still going to release that GTA IV lockbox bundle?

StrangeBum @ Jan 31st 2008 9:16PM

Man. I forgot about that whole thing. I remember thinking how badass that was when it was first talked about.

Now that you mentioned it, I want it again. Put it right next to my Blade Runner briefcase ;)

quickshade @ Jan 31st 2008 3:51PM

he looks like a badass.

Macroy @ Jan 31st 2008 4:01PM

In b4 Jack Thompson.

jsn @ Jan 31st 2008 4:03PM

I got $20 that says someone see's that shit and calls the cops because they saw someone who looked like him.. then we'll hear about all this on hte news and how video games are going too far...

Arno @ Jan 31st 2008 4:09PM

Yea i saw one of these today, didn't get a chance to see it in detail but looked pretty cool. Rockstar always puts up little virals like this around the city, not to mention their stickers can be found all over the place.

DeadPlasmaCell @ Jan 31st 2008 4:12PM

@ JSN

I'm thinkin the same. Because there's always one.

FidliousWong @ Jan 31st 2008 4:14PM

My favorite Viral Marketing incident is simple. This is one nobody caught onto. Sony Ericsson sent about 200 ethnic/tourist looking couples into major cities with a new camera phone and asked random people to take pictures of the couple with the phone. Virals would then show them how to use the phone for pictures and all the neat gadgets. Hardly anyone was the wiser.

As for the graffiti virals, let's put it this way. They paid for the wall space from the building owners. It was the city that rose a ruckus.

baby sea tuna @ Jan 31st 2008 4:21PM

Ha, Lorimar and Grand...that's right by one of my friend's buildings.

Deck @ Jan 31st 2008 4:24PM

My only fear would be that people somehow...will be stupid and not look closely enough at it and actually call the cops. Haha. But then, there comes another bunch of trouble :-/

Cyro @ Jan 31st 2008 4:26PM

teh awsomeness has started!

Cant wait for this game. Boy I love to be a gamer in this next-gen.

Dr. @ Jan 31st 2008 4:35PM

Wait... Next-gen? You're in the future?

NATO_Duke @ Jan 31st 2008 6:05PM

I'm enjoying being a gamer in this gen just fine thanks. Let me know how that PS4 is though.

Cyro @ Jan 31st 2008 10:20PM

You guys knew what I meant. This gen. Geesh!

Saneless @ Jan 31st 2008 4:33PM

Reminds me of a picture we kept hanging up on our buddy's door that our schol paper had for some rapist.. looked just like the guy.

Anyway, the worst thing for Rockstar is that these will be torn down all over the place.. for people's collections. I know I'd take one.

Sillines @ Jan 31st 2008 4:36PM

Good god is this a bad idea. New York police and officials already don't like how GTA IV is based off the city, but this is just something that'll feed into their paranoia.

Mr.ESC @ Jan 31st 2008 4:44PM

"I fought the law,and the law won" , "I fought the law,and the law won"

That poster looks good too bad I'm not even remotly interested in GTA.

Blazur @ Jan 31st 2008 4:51PM

Oh that is just too cool. They better not consider doing this in Boston, however...

JakubK666 @ Jan 31st 2008 4:55PM

Hopefully they'll place them over my posters.

Neebs @ Jan 31st 2008 5:22PM

Assault with a deadly weapon simulator!

Malfoy Roark @ Jan 31st 2008 5:56PM

I definitely wouldn't mind one of these posters. been waiting for this game for a long time. VC and SA left a bad taste in my mouth. :(

Edog Lost @ Jan 31st 2008 6:22PM

Here is a link to a picture of the response email.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b334/picstearns/GTA4.jpg

Huan @ Jan 31st 2008 7:05PM

watch someone look exactly that that guy

James Lockwood @ Feb 1st 2008 3:57AM

Has anyone else noticed the possibly-symbolic use of April 29th? Anyone remember Rodney King? LA riots? 'Race riots'? I'm English and I noticed this - come on my American brothers, History is fun:D

PatrickW @ Feb 1st 2008 6:36PM

Better images of all three posters can be found here:
www.gtagames.nl

robcj @ Sep 10th 2008 1:32AM

People are getting confused. This is not viral marketing. Viral marketing is self-propagating. Like a link to an online video that people send to their friends, and then their friends send it to more people. It doesn't matter if it's obvious which company or product sponsored the video, it's still viral.

And this is not guerilla marketing either. Putting up posters is like the oldest form of advertising in the world and hardly counts as guerilla. Guerilla marketing would be hiring the commenter in this thread who claims to look like the character and have him run around New York pretending to steal cars while wearing a Grand Theft Auto IV t-shirt.