Vancouver Space Centre hoaxes baseball UFO sighting
The H.R. MacMillam Space Centre in Vancouver has posted a press release claiming responsibility for the recent UFO videos and tweets that were purported to have been captured during a minor league baseball game. They call it “an elaborate hoax masterminded by the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre.”
The Space Centre says they created a drone in the shape of their building, which was subsequently captured on web cams and camera phones in and around Vancouver. They then “strategically” released the videos to UFO bloggers and on social media, such as Twitter and Facebook.
If the intended effect was to get people’s attention, they succeeded. One of the videos taken by an unwitting “UFO” witness got over 200,000 views and international attention. However, thus far there has been no connection to the Space Centre, so whether the campaign drives attendance is yet to be seen.
The H.R. MacMillam Space Centre says they worked with the advertising agency MacLaren McCann to develop this “extreme teaser campaign.” Some may feel it was extremely deceptive. The press release also includes a CGI video showing their new UFO-like center flying in and landing.
According to an email sent to Open Minds from a representative at MacLaren McCann, their campaign did not include sending hoaxed images or videos to UFO bloggers or the media. They “simply flew the drone and posted a few images and clips. The internet did the rest.”
The press release includes the H.R. MacMillam Space Centre’s media contact information so you can share your feelings on their marketing strategy.
Michele Penz, Calico Communications for H.R. MacMillan Space Centre
Telephone: (778) 888-2249
E-mail: calicocomm@telus.net
You can find more contact information for the Space Centre on their contact page.
UPDATE: MacLaren McCann sent us this news piece with video of the actual drone.
UPDATE: MacLaren McCann has sent us a little more information about the drone and a bigger picture. A representative from MacLaren McCann says: “It was actually quite difficult to achieve as the physics of lift requires vertical air flow. We hired a Hollywood prop maker who used some visual tricks to allow the airflow while creating the appearance of a solid exterior, from a distance. ” He says he was told, “It is a quad copter with….a Nasa brain… whatever that is,” and included this link to the software used to control the craft.
I see ufo every night on they sky…flying onto stratosphere sighny lights….the other humans may think that are stars….nonono…they are manymanymany andromedas on the sky