Mozilla launches Operation Firefox 'astro-turfing' project, asks fanboys to vandalise for them

There are a heck of a lot of Firefox fanboys out there (including this particular fangirl), so I can imagine Mozilla's new advertising campaign, Operation Firefox, will be a huge success. Maybe. If people don't see right through what they're attempting here, and see it for what it is: a massive astro-turfing plot which could lead to arrests of innocent fanboys.

They're asking fans to join in on their Operation Firefox project, by placing massive 3.5 foot-long Firefox stickers all over town, and as the dedicated website for the plan states, "the point is to place stickers in prominent, public places in interesting ways that will make people take notice and check out Firefox. The better your installation, the better our exposure."

Are fans really going to risk their clean criminal records and vandalise their city just to give their beloved browser provider some added exposure? I can imagine plenty of Apple fanboys would comply, no questions asked, but does Mozilla have enough of a loyal following, blinded enough by their adoration of the company to risk getting arrested?

Interested parties must register with the operation, and state exactly where they want to place the large Firefox logos, and describe how they plan to follow through on their covert desires. People who want to join in on the fun have until the 9th of November to do so, with the best four winning a new MacBook Pro or Nintendo Wii.

Are consumers really gullible enough to follow through on Mozilla's requests, and complete these acts of guerilla advertising on behalf of the large corporation? Or have we all wisened up to astro-turfing, after Sony's disastrous All I Want For Xmas Is A PSP Blog and the incredible failure that was Ask.com's Information Revolution site? Keep Operation Firefox bookmarked, as the results are sure to be interesting, as is the inevitable backlash.

Operation Firefox (via The Mozilla Blog)

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