Netflix apologizes for hiring actors to pretend to be interested in Netflix
To promote the launch of Netflix’s brand-new Canadian branch, the company staged a large media event in Toronto today—one that attracted scores of people from everyday walks of life, many of whom happily gave interviews to local journalists about their genuine excitement, as a regular ol’ everyday person, over the benefits of the Netflix service. Unfortunately those everyday people turned out to be hired actors, paid by Netflix to fill the streets and offer their giddy, unusually specific opinions about the company. According to an information sheet handed out to the extras, they were asked to play “types, for example, mothers, film buffs, tech geeks, couch potatoes etc.,” all of whom were supposed to “behave as members of the public, out and about enjoying their day-to-day life, who happen upon a street event for Netflix and stop by to check it out.” Because why even run the risk of failing to attract interest in your publicity stunt when you can just pay people to show up and fake it?