Here's a candidate for viral stunt of the year: A 21-year-old student named Brett Cohen assumes the trappings of a reality star—bodyguards, paparazzi and a ridiculous striped button-down—and waltzes into Times Square. There, his illusion is sufficient to set a gaggle of tourists—culturally primed to gush at the sight of a camera and dazzled into a heightened state of idiocy by the sheer volume of advertising stimuli in their immediate surroundings—to babble on about how much they love Cohen's music and acting careers, neither of which exists. It's a picture-perfect portrait of America in 2012. It also feels a little like a stealth marketing campaign (NBC's Rockefeller Center marquee makes a cameo), even though it's getting covered as news by local outlets. Either way, it's a great ad for Cohen. If he's not already working in advertising, he should be. Via Animal.
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