Still a Virgin? Call for help

On the cab ride back from the airport I noticed a couple of these billboards.

I figured it was a crank, some assholes with too much money having some fun.

Turns out I was right. Sort of.

A nationwide billboard campaign asking “Still A Virgin? For Help, Call 888-742-4335” is creating controversy in a growing number of cities. TV news stations in Louisiana, Miami, San Diego, and Arizona have so far covered the brouhaha as local politicians demand the billboards’ removal. Turns out the whole thing is a ruse, a flash marketing campaign to create awareness for The Virginity Hit, the “R”-rated feature comedy from Sony Pictures which is sponsoring the billboards. The movie is about three guys who try to get their virgin pal laid and memorialize it on camera. So what happens if you call the phone number? A recorded message from the movie’s cast members gives an array of semi-humorous options for virgins, then offers a link to the film’s website. The number, 888-743-4335, has been dialed 70,000 times in five days.

Those are pretty good numbers, especially for a billboard campaign, which are way, way cheaper than buying TV or radio spots. I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of an impact it has on how well the movie does.