UPDATE: Was The Freaky Eye Commercial For FX’s ‘The Strain’?
Because so many people watch finales live (and thus, end up watching commercials), it’s a great time to advertise because you’ve got everyone’s attention. Last night, someone launched a great piece of viral marketing that left a lot of folks scratching their head. During one of the commercial breaks for The Walking Dead mid-season finale, there was a spot featuring rats crawling out of the sewer and freaking people out. However, it didn’t say what it was a commercial for.
So what was it?
Clearly, it was a bit of Cloverfield-style marketing meant to grab our attention. It worked. Some have suggested it’s for the Godzilla remake, which comes out in 2014. Others have suggested that it ties into The Walking Dead and the character who was feeding rats to the walkers, while still others guessed that it was a sequel to Cloverfield. More likely, however, the commercial is for FX’s new upcoming series, The Strain, based on a Guillermo del Toro series. That vampire series features the refrain, “He is here,” and though you can’t tell watching the commercial spot in real-time, halfway through the ad — in very, very tiny letters — that phrase flashes onscreen. “He is here.” The book also features a scene in which rats escape from the sewer.
Here’s the only video of the spot I’ve been able to find, so far.