Toyota Stalker-Themed Web Advertising

A woman recently clicked on a Toyota website and was pranked. Amber Duick unknowingly became involved in a Toyota advertising ploy which apparently started with agreeing to take part in a "digital experience."

Over the next five days, she got a series of emails, including photos and video, from someone going by the name of Sebastian Bowler, who told Duick that he was in trouble with the law and on his way to hide out at her residence. He confirmed that he knew her name, home address, and other personal information. Duick even received a bill for some damage Sebastian had caused at a hotel.

The series of electronic communications had Duick convinced that a dangerous person she didn't know (but who knew all kinds of things about her) was on his way to her home.

It turned out that Duick was being "punked" by Toyota as part of a viral marketing campaign for the new Toyota Matrix.

Creator of the campaign was ad firm Saatchi and Saatchi. Understandably, Duick was not amused. She filed lawsuit.

She sued Toyota and Saatchi & Saatchi and fifty individuals associated with the campaign for intentional infliction of emotional distress; unfair, unlawful, and deceptive trade practices; and negligent misrepresentation, among other things. She’s seeking $10 million in compensatory damages.

Heh. It will be interesting to see if she gets the $10 mil.