• Lost-ing my Mind

    Posted on May 12th, 2006 by and currently 4 commenting.

    Okay… I know that half the bloggers on the planet are writing about this right now, but I just can’t help myself. Our own Celebrity Massage Therapist, Kim, slowly fed me her DVDs of Season 1 of Lost… fostering quite an addiction. I quickly dropped a good chunk of money to download Season 2 on iTunes and am now completely caught up… and just in time.

    The creators of Lost are in the midst of a multi-media blitz on their island-obsessed public. And, while I’ve heard of things like this before (a la ilovebees.com for the release of Halo II and the Giantology blog for Shadows of the Colossus), this strikes me as the most all-encompassing event of its kind… at the very least on my radar.

    I first stumbled into the Lost extended universe when Geno discovered the book Bad Twin on Amazon. Authored by a fictional character said to have died in the crash of Oceanic Flight 815 (the flight on Lost, for those who haven’t yet succumbed), the manuscript appeared in the show and is also available for purchase in the real world. Apparently, the book also references The Hanso Foundation… which is becoming a more and more prominent piece of the puzzle in the show.

    As for The Hanso Foundation (which, remember, is fictional)… they have recently re-launched their website, chock-full of easter eggs for those who are willing to find them. In addition, during the show (and during other ABC shows), there are Hanso Foundation commercials which direct observant viewers to a phone number (which I called) and another website. There are any number of blogs dedicated to Lost theories already, and now a whole new group is emerging dedicated to unraveling the new mysteries of what is being called The Lost Experience.

    Say what you will about being this involved in a fictional TV show… and I’ll probably agree with you. But that doesn’t stop me from seeking out and translating the hidden messages from Persephone. It’s impressive to see how the show’s creators have fostered not only a fiercely dedicated following, but the opportunity for those followers to choose to extend their experience into other media, spawning conversations and communities that span the globe.

    Everyone loves a mystery. And while not every brand can strand 40+ people on a desert island controlled by some mysterious uber-force… every brand can certainly strive to instill a sense of wonder and discovery in its customers. All it takes is one “ah-ha!” to spark an advocate.

  • http://brainsonfire.com Michael

    Dear Jen,

    You are a big nerd.

    Love,
    Michael

  • http://customersonfire.com karl

    Wow, I wish I watched Lost now. I only saw the first episode which was great, and I decided that I would hold off until I could get the DVD’s. Anyway, because of that i’ve actually avoided hearing about Lost, avoided the “Lost threads” in various online communities. I’ve been acting like someone who recorded the big game and is now avoiding hearing about the results. Now i’d have to cram two seasons to catch up, doh!

  • Gammo

    Do it. DO IT!!

  • http://brainsonfire.com Jennifer

    Karl – speaking as someone who caught up for the entire first season and the first 19 episodes of the second in the course of about a month and a half (yes, Michael, I’m a nerd)… DO IT! It’s so worth it!