Fringe: The Observers Invade Our Reality
Nov 19, 2009 by Kofi OutlawOf all the viral marketing campaigns I’ve seen over the last few years, I’ve really been digging how Fringe is carrying-over one of the running …
Of all the viral marketing campaigns I’ve seen over the last few years, I’ve really been digging how Fringe is carrying-over one of the running mysteries of the show into the real world: namely, the appearance of “The Observer,” a creepy-looking bald man in a black suit and fedora, who has shown up (on camera, of course) at real-world events ranging from NASCAR races to NFL Football games.
With this week’s episode of Fringe, entitled “August” we learn more about the The Observer – namely [SEMI-SPOILER] that “The Observer” is actually “The Observer(s),” with a hint as to what the purpose and/or agenda of these mysterious beings means for the world(s) of Fringe. To help promote the episode, Fox has been sending “Observers” out into the real-world, to be spotted by those keeping a careful eye on everything related to the show.
As of recently there have been Observer sightings in and around NYC, LA, Chicago, Boston and Atlanta. The dedicated folks over at The Observer Trackers on Facebook have been keeping a nationwide thread open and updated, announcing and then logging the places where fans can run to be a part of this amusing game of hide-and-go-observe.
Here are some recent photos taken of Observers making their way through “our world”:
.
Atlanta
Los Angeles
For those of you who fancy yourselves historical experts, The Observers have been here longer than you might think…
(Hint: Left side)
Finally, here is a televised Observer sighting, captured during this week’s episodes of Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance:
For a more extensive gallery of Observer pics, head over to The Observer Trackers on Facebook.
Viral Marketing can be really (really, really) annoying, but little “games” like this are pretty harmless and are, in general, a real thrill for fans. The lengths to which Fox has gone with this Observer campaign have been unprecedented – I remember during the Fringe panel at the 2009 New York Comic Con when the show’s producer, Jeff Pinkner, told us how Fox had even lobbied (hard) to have an Observer on the platform standing next to President Obama on Inauguration Day. Needless to say they were unsuccessful (or were they?).
Gotta wonder if this latest mass Observer invasion is in any way an attempt to boost the show’s recent ratings slump…
Fringe airs on Fox Thursdays @ 9pm.
Sources: The Observer Trackers on Facebook via Sci-Fi Wire
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I bought the first season of Fringe through iTunes and liked it, though I didn’t love it. The things going on were so outlandish and left field that it went from something that could have been really cool and went into something that was just ridiculous.
If they want to improve their ratings they ought to try and bring things back to reality a bit. I’m not saying make it boring, but I am saying that they need to look up “fringe” and see that it doesn’t mean science fiction.
I miss Millennium.
INK: So do I, but I really love JJ and Fringe is a lot of fun….I really miss the lens flares though. ( Please don’t hate me 790 for my Fringe love)
Haaha! Tim.
^
Yeah INK,and Tim,, wasn’t Millennium the darkest tv show ever broadcast!? I knew it wouldn’t last. Some of my fav episodes were in Season 2…
Remember the one where these 4 demons meet up at this doughnut store and talk about how they’ve ruined lifes, the guy working the store pees in one of the demons coffee and the demon enjoys it.
(Because its a sin of course, lol).
Another twisted episode was Frank Black’s Halloween. He keeps seeing the same numbers (7/13) everywhere and he meets up with a demon in his attic on halloween night,,, you might remember the famous thrown egg on the window looking like a demons face, was in that one.
^
freaky stuff. Of course the S2 cliffhanger where Black’s wife accepts her fate and wanders off into the woods to blow her brains out, was pretty dark,,, You just don’t see that kind of writing anymore.
^