DIGITAL MARKETING: FUTURE PUBLISHING

Picador and Ralph explore the signature nihilism of Mr Ellis

Today Friday July 16th, is submissions day meaning TI's inbox has been brimming with some interesting material recently. Quite exciting for me was an email concerning a current collaboration between Picador and digital creative agency Ralph around Bret Easton Ellis' new novel "Imperial Bedrooms" .To promote Ellis' current work the partners have created a website, thedevilinyou.com where viewers can "step into the shoes of Clay, a Hollywood producer, as he runs a seedy casting session somewhere in LA. You direct the actress; you tell her what to do. You can encourage her, fill her with booze and drugs, make her dance for you or take things to a whole new level.". As a concept for any other author, this whole exercise would have been the biggest barrel of cheese possible but with Ellis as the moral locus of such an enterprise the idea is chillingly ambiguous. "We wanted to create an immersive experience for Bret Easton Ellis fans," said Lee Dibble, Senior Marketing Manager at Pan Macmillan. "The lines between reality and fantasy are blurred, allowing players to become the central character of the book." On a whim I played the game. My score horrified me.

"Your conscience won in the end. But only just". Egads!