Ok, this isn’t real, it’s just a shady ad for an iPhone app that doesn’t really exist. LawFirms.com is a website that helps you find an immigration lawyer and they thought of tapping into the “There is an app for that” trend to make some buzz.
For that sake they invented a fake iPhone application to try and gain clients, and ultimately help immigrants come to the U.S. legally. But the way they went about trying to convey that message… not so tasteful,”Your green card is just one swipe away”.
The “app” comes with 4 unique functionalities:
Border Patrol Locator
Using sophisticated radio signal triangulation, iCoyote can locate and track US Border Patrol vehicles and officers on foot. A proximity warning will automatically alert you should patrol enter your 3.5 mile “iSafetyZone”.
iRoute
Taking into account the wide array of information available to iCoyote via it’s internet connection*, iRoute will plot several routes, and highlight the benefits of each so you can make the best decision based on destination, availability of water and likelihood of success.
H2l0cate
One of the most daunting aspects of a border crossing adventure is the heat and potential for dehydration. iCoyote will modify your route to intersect known water locations, so you don’t have to worry about lugging around 40lbs. of precious H20.
iWife
Let’s face it, getting a green card is so much easier once you marry a US Citizen, but who has the time to find one? Now your iPhone will take care of finding marriage prospects for you. Aggregating and analyzing data from a variety of online sources such as eHarmony and Facebook, the sophisticated algorithm will match you up with only the most promising US Citizen candidates.
It doesn’t stop there ! They’re also developing new functionalities like a special mode for Americans who would like to test drive it, it would provide you with updated stats about the possible cities for you to settle in, find a lawyer or check the weather channel…
And at the end comes the actual pitch :
**This is not an actual product. If you want to immigrate to the U.S, Find a Lawyer and discuss your legal options for doing so.
What do you think ? Great PR or cynic advertisement?
[Update: the advertisement was taken off before I even finished this post...,I wonder why]
[via LawFirms.com]
I LOVE IT!! I love seeing companies who can try to make a laugh of things instead of being overbearingly politically correct. Yes, yes certain things are taboo and shouldn’t be made lite of (murder, child predators, Windows Mobile, etc) but if people were really so incensed at this ad as to complain, well that is a sad commentary on our culture.
I support kooky advertising and hope more companies hop on-board with this mentality.