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Added by Jeff on Sept. 5, 2008 19 comments

Would you accept free gas from these men?

Sounds like the Mercenaries 2 "let's take over a gas station and give away free gas" stunt that went down without a hitch in Los Angeles last week didn't garner the same enthusiasm when duplicated over in Great Britain.

GamePolitics has the story from the UK's Telegraph, which states that £20,000 of "petrol" was scheduled to be given away for free. But the bobbies stepped in, shouted "what's all this, then" to anyone within earshot, and shut it down early, with only around half of the free gas going out.

Here in the States, the Los Angeles giveaway sounds like it went down as planned. EA took the opportunity to get people dressed up as the three mercs from the game and they shot a bunch of silly-ass video. There are a handful of fake news reports up on break.com, but here's my favorite.

The lesson here, obviously, is don't let your dress-up talent improv answers to questions. Totally shatters the whole illusion. Still, it's hard to argue with free gas, and for once, it's a game launch promotional tie-in that actually makes sense in the context of the game it's promoting.

Filed under : Mercenaries 2: World in Flames, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PC

20 Comments

DukeTogo
on Sept. 5, 2008

Because armed, tattooed men at a gas station is par for the course here in LA.

HatKing
on Sept. 5, 2008

So I'd assume most people getting the free gas had no idea what was going on. So when she said something like lets kick some Venezuelan ass that probably sounded horribly racist to anybody who hadn't played the game.

"Bring me my meh-money!"

kitsune_conundrum
on Sept. 5, 2008

free stuff for the people? no no, send in the fuzz!

TheGTAvaccine
on Sept. 5, 2008

Man, i totally facepalmed while watching that video. Horrible.

rohanspear345
on Sept. 5, 2008

with his tiny toy microphone

MitchyD
on Sept. 5, 2008

The Jen Mui is hilariously awful. :D

mubress
on Sept. 5, 2008

I wish they'd done that where I live. Not because I wanna see people who look like wrestlers dressed up as Mercs characters, but because gas is frickin expensive son!!!!

TheWolf619
on Sept. 5, 2008

They should do this in the Bay Area. I could definitely go for some free gas around here.
That video was hilarious, he almost cussed. lol

RobDaFunk
on Sept. 5, 2008

my drive this mornin sucked thanks to this.....didn't have time to queue for FREE gas either....

...plus it was rainin......but it always is here ;)

YAY!!

Kohe321
on Sept. 5, 2008

Thats a rather cool way of doing advertising.

White
on Sept. 5, 2008

Pitty the game was not as awesome as this viral marketing strategy.

Draugrim
on Sept. 5, 2008

That is solid second rate comedy, Mad TV style.

Milkman
on Sept. 5, 2008

Drive great way of advertising, not a great way to make a fake news cast.

Reynolds
on Sept. 5, 2008

Man, that video was dumb. None of those people has ever even heard of Mercenaries.

"We're going to buy some guns" was a pretty classic line though.

EddyFictitious
on Sept. 5, 2008

I don't think that dude should smoke a cigar in a gas station.

Branthog
on Sept. 5, 2008

What the hell kind of "news reporter" dresses with a slack shirt with the top six buttons undone? I love videogame promotions when they're done well. I actually dug last year's madden release when they had Ozzy play ont he top of a building in Times Square. I loved the absurdity and drama of the Halo 3 release in Manhatten. But this stuff? This kind of stuff just embarrasses me because it shows that people who make the content I consume think so little of me and believe me to be such a stupid, gullible, non-critical person.

reflekshun
on Sept. 5, 2008

oh GAAAAD!!! had my hand over my mouth for half of that. the PAIN!!!! nobody takes my MO.... MONEY ROFL

AaronBelfast
on Sept. 6, 2008

WTF?

D3adend
on Sept. 8, 2008

I feel bad watching them.

ReAnimator
on Sept. 11, 2008

That girl reminds me of the model Candace Kita

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