Remember the 13th

Remember the 13th was an Internet hoax that went viral on October 3, 2013. It was picked up by news media around the world and reportedly received large amounts of social media shares worldwide for several days.
Remember the 13th was featured on Alex Boese's Museum of Hoaxes and was listed as one of the biggest hoaxes of 2013.
History
The website domain was registered on October 1, 2013 using Name Cheap. The domain was possibly purchased from a location in Panama. Months after the hoax, the owner of the website was revealed to be Swenzy, a marketing firm. The site quickly went viral acquiring attention from curious science enthusiasts and news journalists.
On October 4, the website changed the countdown date from November 13 (hence where the website name came from), to October 6. The site said it had switched dates due to a "change of plans". NASA was unable to comment on the site due to the United States Government Shutdown. On October 5, just before midnight, the site was updated with a button redirecting to a YouTube video. The music video, called "Purple Ninja" and performed by European Pop artist Beeki Vendi, was released as the "Big Discovery". Whether the Irish musician himself was behind the hoax is not known. Remember The 13th is mentioned on the Museum of Hoaxes. The website received international news coverage.
Description
The design of Remember the 13th is CSS & HTML. It had a space look with a planet, a rocket ship and a countdown. The original creator of the design was Oxygenna.
Reception
Slate called Remember the 13th "a silly viral Marketing scheme".
New Rising Media reported that theories about big announcement ranged from alien life, to a FEMA national blackout exercise. They urged caution that the email form on the site may be used for phishing purposes.
NASA has not commented on the website. The "Purple Ninja" music video has received 3 thousand likes and 17 thousand dislikes as of January 2014. Swenzy, the creators of the hoax, have organized other viral hoaxes. In an interview with the Daily Dot, an ex-employee of Swenzy called Remember the 13th a "successful test". The Daily Dot called the site "child's play" compared to other Swenzy hoaxes.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu