There is so much to see at CES that it is quite easy for a company to get lost in the crowd. A booth too out of the way of the busiest foot traffic or bigger competitors with elaborate setups can ruin the day for a company trying to get exposure for a product.
Netflix was not leaving anything to chance when it set up a fake biotech booth in the middle of the trade show's floor. The fictional company is called “Psychasec” — a firm specializing in the manufacture of human bodies to increase longevity and physical appearance.
“It's about transferring your consciousness to a new, better body,” a booth attendant would tell visitors when asked about what the company does.
The booth features two very lifelike mannequins (one male, one female) in nothing but underwear. Opposite the life-sized dolls is a marquee scrolling slogans like, “New Year, New You. Be any body. #Psychasec.”
Inside the booth, there was another mannequin (male, nude) curled up in the fetal position inside a clear plastic bag. The creators even went so far as to add condensation inside the bag. Looking at it knowing it is just a marketing gimmick, it is an impressive artistic creation. However, looking at it thinking it’s real is somewhat creepy.
The attendants all wore white and carried tablets, giving the whole display a clinical feel. They would answer any questions but always remained in character, giving patrons futuristic explanations for anything they might be wondering. They were also collecting names and e-mail addresses of interested parties, promising to send more information on February 2.
The joke here is that the whole thing is an elaborate advertisement for Netflix’s next big-budget series, Altered Carbon.
The series is a cyber-punk thriller in the vein of Blade Runner. The main character, Takeshi Kovacs (Joel Kinnaman / Will Yun Lee), is brought back to life 250 years into the future by having his consciousness transferred into a body manufactured by, you guessed it, Psychasec. Apparently, the wealthiest man in the world, Laurens Bancroft (James Purefoy), wants Kovacs to solve a murder.
“You are the property of Bancroft Industries,” a man in a suit informs Kovacs. “You have been provided with this body, which came equipped with military-grade Neurochem and combat muscle memory.”
That statement alone ensures it to be action-packed with fights and gunplay galore.
The series launches worldwide on, you guessed it again, February 2, the same day booth patrons were promised “more information.”
All images courtesy Brinkwire, Daily Mail, and Numerama.
https://www.techspot.com/news/72719-netflix-had-fake-biotech-booth-ces-way-over.html
