Author
Message
spies
Boot
Joined: 01 Aug 2004 Posts: 68 Location: Arkansas
[Trailhead?] Blackberry Free Island Offer possible arg in yesterdays WSJ A full page ad in yesterdays WSJ offered a Blackberry phone with a free island. The cost, $1.6 billion. The website is very argish.
the site wants you to enter your "BIN." there is an email address to email if you forgot your BIN.
I'm awaiting a response now.
http://www.privateislandoffer.com
Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 5:25 pm
Last edited by spies on Fri Aug 24, 2007 5:31 pm; edited 1 time in total
Angelus78
Entrenched
Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Posts: 816 Location: halifax, nova scotia
Re: Blackberry Free Island Offer [Trailhead?]
Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 5:30 pm
degravedi
Unfictologist
Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 1458 Location: New Orleans
As ridiculous as it sounds, they could very well be serious. There are hundreds of islands for sale. If Sprint is using one of the island brokers, they could essentially buy a few islands at 2-5 million and then sell them for 10.5...I mean, huge profit. And if someone actually comes along to them and says "Yeah, I'm a billionaire, I'll take the island." I think they'd be happy to oblige.
Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 5:51 pm
Angelus78
Entrenched
Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Posts: 816 Location: halifax, nova scotia
degravedi wrote:
As ridiculous as it sounds, they could very well be serious. There are hundreds of islands for sale. If Sprint is using one of the island brokers, they could essentially buy a few islands at 2-5 million and then sell them for 10.5...I mean, huge profit.
That is possible but, depending on what reply I get from emailing them, it would seem odd they would give out BINs.
Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 5:56 pm
degravedi
Unfictologist
Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 1458 Location: New Orleans
I'm sorry, I reread what I wrote and realise I was a bit unclear. What I meant to say is that it's probably just a nifty marketing ploy. Since most people that see that commercial aren't going to have 10.5 million dollars sitting around, they really don't have to worry too much about a real response. And any normal people who happen to check out the site, try to get a BIN, etc. are just getting more innundation with the advertizing and will probably mention it to friends. It's a great marketing technique. And on the off chance that some billionaire does come along and call them on it, actually wanting to buy an island, Sprint could easily swing getting them one for under 10.5 million.
So, that was a really long way of saying that it's probably nothing more than some creative marketing. Could make a really cool arg though. I mean, who doesn't want to own an island?
Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 6:03 pm
Angelus78
Entrenched
Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Posts: 816 Location: halifax, nova scotia
another strange theme that seem to go through that advertisement was 'controlling the world' That seemed to be another thing he pointed out a great deal.
Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 6:05 pm
jscdragon
Veteran
Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 127 Location: Omnipresent
sounds like a bit of a joke to me too, like saying the free island is less important than the phone, because the phone is just that good. Could be wrong though
On a tangent Pepsi once offered loads of prizes for collecting ring pulls and they had a joke one saying you could have a harrier jump jet for like a million ring pulls or somethign but someone actually managed to collect that many and so they had to give him the monetary equivilent instead to avoid being sued for false advertising!
Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 6:08 pm
Angelus78
Entrenched
Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Posts: 816 Location: halifax, nova scotia
Aye, I remember that, now that was funny.
Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 6:09 pm
degravedi
Unfictologist
Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 1458 Location: New Orleans
Hahah! Yeah, and this guy too. He's my hero.
http://www.snopes.com/business/deals/pudding.asp
Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 6:13 pm
Angelus78
Entrenched
Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Posts: 816 Location: halifax, nova scotia
Aye, I remember that incident aswell, brilliant guy.
Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 6:17 pm
jscdragon
Veteran
Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 127 Location: Omnipresent
LOL that's amazing
Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 6:21 pm
Angelus78
Entrenched
Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Posts: 816 Location: halifax, nova scotia
Did either of you play Majestic when it was around?
Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 6:25 pm
degravedi
Unfictologist
Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 1458 Location: New Orleans
I did, at least for about a month. I lost track of it after that. Why? O.o
Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 6:39 pm
Angelus78
Entrenched
Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Posts: 816 Location: halifax, nova scotia
Oh just thinking back on how great that game was till they killed it for real. Just tired of trying to find a good game and having to play catch-up on any I consider joining.
Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 6:46 pm
BubbleBoy
Decorated
Joined: 16 Jul 2007 Posts: 271 Location: United States
What I would do with an island...
http://www.mushacay.com
Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 7:51 pm
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