The 'liquid mountaineering' ad hoax
In a new viral video, South African adrenaline junkies appear to run on water. A new sensation... or a clever advertising campaign?
A convincingly amateur video clip of a new extreme sport called "liquid mountaineering" quickly went viral last week — purporting to show how certain, gifted South Africans can run on water. Their "secret: They run "on a slight curve," so that their feet skim across the surface like a stone. The clip, a sly ad for Hi-Tec's new waterproof shoes, fooled at least one local news team and, no doubt, countless viewers. The problem with such "theoretically harmless" viral marketing campaigns, says Maureen O'Connor at Gawker, is that the discovery you've been fooled turns your initial intrigue into something "no more joyous than finding the perfect pair of 'broken in' jeans at Abercrombie." Tom Cullen at Asylum is less concerned: As manipulations go, this one delivers. Let "yourself suspend disbelief for a moment":
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Thomas Mallon's 6 favorite books from the 80's and early 90's
Feature The author recommends works by James Merrill, Calvin Trillin, and more
-
'There are compelling arguments for and against homework'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Mamdani is promising government-run grocery stores. How would that work?
Talking Points The goal: To make food cheaper and more accessible