Do you really believe it’s possible to obtain a tan from your computer monitor? The answer – hopefully – is no. But at least 30,000 in the UK believe they can – and that was just in the first 24 hours.
They signed up at a website that offered to turn their monitors into UV lamps that would allow them to tan as they worked. But it’s all a deliberate scam.
Organized by McCann Erickson for skin cancer charity Skcin, a fake company called Computer Tan offered people “revolutionary new technology” to let people tan via their monitors, according to Brand Republic. Publicity came via digital seeding, print and outdoor ads, and street leafleting.
At ComputerTan, people could log on for what they believed was a free tanning session. Once the screen had shown a display of UV lights, the display changed to images and facts on skin cancer, and a link to the Skcin site.
The scam began on February 3 and will run until February 9, after which Skcin will reveal just how many people were duped.
Simon Hill, new business director at McCann Erickson, said:
"This campaign was designed to engage those most at risk of developing skin disease and those most difficult to talk to via conventional advertising."
"The fact that so many people fell for the ComputerTan hoax demonstrates the frightening truth that getting a tan — regardless of the risk — is still appealing for many people."
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