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Surprise, surprise.

Submitted by Jim Downey on December 21, 2008 - 8:04am.

Remember the "California Drones"? The odd, spiky UFOs reported about 18 months ago, purporting to be proof of alien visitation? Here's a bit about it from the Coast to Coast Am show (lots of photos there), which helped launch the whole thing:

Last month (April 2007), my wife and I were on a walk when we noticed a very large, very strange "craft" in the sky. My wife took a picture with her cell phone camera (first photo below). A few days later a friend (and neighbor) lent me his camera and came with me to take photos of this "craft". We found it and took a number of very clear photos. Picture #4 is taken from right below this thing and I must give my friend credit as I was not brave enough to get close enough to take this picture myself!

The craft is almost completely silent and moves very smoothly. It usually moves slowly until it decides to take off. Then it moves VERY quickly and is out of sight in the blink of an eye. MORE THAN ANYTHING I simply want to understand what this is and why it is here?

We found your show with Google and I have listened for a few nights now. I have decided that if anyone can help me understand what this thing is, it is you and your audience. I must admit I am deeply unsettled by this thing. I have never seen anything like this in my life... Location: I would prefer not to say for now.

--Chad

This, and pictures posted on Facebook about the same time, spawned countless (well, OK, probably not literally, but I sure as hell ain't going to count 'em) posts on internet forums and UFO websites, prompting extensive discussion and debate of all the technical analysis of the pictures as well as implications for What It Means.

Well, now we know: it was an aborted viral marketing effort for a TV show.

California Drones Mystery Solved By Sarah Connor Chronicles?

The end of Sarah Connor Chronicles‘ episode had Sarah laying on the ground stunned, looking up at what looked like a UFO coming down to say hi to our dazed heroine. That’s when I said, HAH! Scared the crap out of my wife. But the craft in the end scene was a combined derivative of the California Drones with identical details.

* * *

They were getting completely behind their product, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, by ramping up a viral advertising campaign that would draw the public into their show. With the right public momentum, the gimmick would have netted them some serious press coverage and ratings. But the project got snuffed when the writers’ strike hit. That pushed back the airing date of this mid-season finale episode, and Fox moved on. In their wake, they forgot to let on about it and left the hundreds of UFO-ologists spinning up hundreds of thousands of hours combing over the Drones evidence and tossing out their conjectures.

OK, little surprise that the whole thing was a hoax. But what I find of interest is just how willing so many people are to believe. To the point where some unknown marketer came up with this idea to exploit that willingness to promote a TV show.

Or where others sell their version of Sky Daddy.

Happy Solstice.

Jim Downey

Via MeFi.

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