Step Right Up

Discovery

December 3, 2007

From an email message sent from humanresources@whysoserious.com, Whysoserious.com/steprightup was found.

The webpage featured a stuffed monkey with an exposed stomach, as well as a timer which counted down to 12pm EST, December 4.

Assignment

December 4, 2007

When the timer ended, a high-striker carnival game (with stuffed animal prizes) was revealed. A note advised participants to search out an object at six different addresses around the country, while warning them not to call the locations.

When an animal disappeared, more would appear, totalling 22 stuffed animals. While the activity was in progress, site visitors could click on the hammer pad of the high-striker and then a lit bulb, and the site would load an image of the fulfilled location.

Locations

  • MN bear
  • Portland bear
  • SF bear
  • LV bear
  • DC bear
  • Miami bear
  • LA bear
  • St Louis bear
  • Philly bear
  • Pittsburgh bear
  • Philly bear
  • Seattle bear
  • Chicago bear
  • Phoenix bear
  • Cleveland bear
  • NYC bear
  • Boston bear
  • NYC bear
  • GA bear
  • Austin bear
  • MI bear
  • Denver bear

The package

  • Cake insides
  • Loot

The "treat" was a cake with a phone number written on it in decorative icing. When calling the number, a phone inside the cake rang. After digging into the cake, conspirators found an evidence bag with a cell phone, Joker card, cell phone charger, and a note:

  • Video:

  • Digging into the cake. Runtime: 00:27

Upon calling the number on the note, a message was automatically played:

A text message was also received on the phone from humanresources@whysoserious.com:

For some reason, several celebrities and bloggers were also sent cakes with cell phones inside, with a note to call an 800 number. An automated voice told them to show up at one of the IMAX locations with a press pass to attend the screening.

Participants who discovered these phone numbers and attempted to call them after they had been already used would be welcomed with clown music:

Reward

Once all of the cakes were located, the bell on the high-striker could be rung by clicking on it, providing a link to Whysoserious.com/steprightup/pairofjokers.