3.24.11 - 2:00PM
- by
Jay Hathaway

Miniature Giraffes Are Just Marketing, but Oh, How We Wish They Were Real

topic:
Videos
Photos
Animals
Marketing

mini petite lap giraffe DirecTV's recent "I Am Epic Win" ad campaign featuring a bizarre Russian billionaire got more attention for the adorable miniature giraffe running on a tiny treadmill in the background. Now the "petite lap giraffe" has their own spinoff site, a "giraffe breeder" called Sokoblovsky Farms where you can get in line for a tiny, long-necked pet of your own.

People, mini-giraffes are NOT REAL, but oh man do we ever wish they were. How much fun would it be to go out for a run with your long-legged, galloping mini-pal? Plus, giraffes mostly eat foliage, so they wouldn't be that expensive to take care of. Hey, science, can you get on this right away? Thanks.

"I Am Epic Win" Ad

Mini-Giraffe Pic

related:// One Million Giraffes to Defy the Odds
via:// The Daily What

*/ tags: directv - giraffe breeder - giraffes - i am epic win - mini giraffe - miniature giraffe - petite lap giraffe - pets - russian bilionaires - sokoblovsky farms

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3.24.11

By KrazyCalvin

Highest Rank

Miniature elephants would be more ridiculously awesome.

3.28.11

By angela

Neutral

that is what i was thinking....i want a mini elephant like in the lab on "The Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow"

3.24.11

By Mike

Highest Rank

If they are not real than they went through a lot of work to have a live webcam. I have seen the little guy walking all around on the webcam

3.24.11

By Arduinna

Neutral

Looking into the page source and looking at the camera itself, the images are a looped video. The giraffe, if you watch him, is a looped gif put into the picture. Not real...

3.25.11

By Reapers

Highest Rank

House hippos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBfi8OEz0rA

3.28.11

By angela

Highest Rank

ha...i just was back on the cam site..and had two windows opened...one had the giraffe image and the second one did not...makes me think that yes it is a set up..hhmmm pretty darn good editing though...

3.29.11

By VocalBillity

Neutral

Right, these marketing ploys are just that, ploys! The "petite giraffe" website is actually owned/registed by the marketing company behind the DirecTV ad (Grey Global Group, HQ'd on 5th Ave in NY, USA!)AND was created this last Feb, 2011. HA! The website touts itself as being pure, Russian heritage, but was actually birthed just this year! Great Grandfather Nicolas has kept this "little secret" very well (pun intended).

Anymore these days, technology (and a great sense of gullability) make it tougher and tougher identify reality. One certainly MUST be solidly based and wide-eyed about the information being sprayed around out there!

VocalBillity - the Voice of one crying in the Bewilderness(tm)

3.29.11

By Gail

Neutral

Boy do I feel stupid..They were so cute, had to call my neighbors and let them know about the little giraffes. I am kind of glad it is a fake... I was starting to feel sorry for the little guys....

4.01.11

By Matt

Neutral

I fell for it at first. It would be nice, though, scientists would make us some mini giraffes instead of piglets that don't grow.

The video loop and waiting list were what got me. I had no forms to fill out on the waiting list, there was no waiting list fee or price quote, and it took me right back to the video feed which showed the same camera, but there was suddenly a giraffe in the picture. I also realized the "waiting list" was a counter for the amount of people who fell for it.

To top that, the time and date in the top left corner are supposed to be part of the video like you would see in recording. However, if you put your cursor over it, it changes to the "select text" cursor, which means it is separate from the video. The camera will also "lose battery life" watching a moving giraffe so long.

4.01.11

By Matt

Neutral

I have also noticed today that the daylight hours and time-stamp on the "live feed" is inconsistent with Russian time zones.

4.06.11

By MadMike

Neutral

Also if you'll notice..

I watched the video at about 9:45 AM est. I knopw russia is a big area with lots of land from East to West, but I believe at 9:45AM EST, most, if not all, of Russia is in the dark at that time. The video has daylight which looks to be about 1 or 2 in the after noon based on the lighting and angles of shawdows.