Canada's Netflix launch sullied by crowd actors

by Steven Mostyn - Sep 23 2010, 05:48

Yesterday's high-profile launch of Netflix across Canada has been somewhat overshadowed after it was discovered that actors hired by the company were covertly singing the new subscription service's praises.

According to reports emerging from a street-bound launch in Toronto, local news teams covering the event rumbled the publicity stunt when they came across a one-page instructional script urging attending actors to assume a variety of stereotypical roles.

These roles included the likes of "mothers, film buffs, tech geeks, couch potatoes," and even led to some actors becoming so engrossed in their parts that they actually gave media interviews waxing lyrical about the new Netflix subscription service.

"Extras are to behave as members of the public, out and about enjoying their day-to-day life, who happened upon a street event for Netflix and stop by to check it out," the actors' script outlined, according to a report by The Canadian Press.

In defending its corner regarding the Toronto incident, Netflix has said actors and a script were utilised to help produce a corporate video in order that the company could attain a permit from the city—thereby enabling it to close off an entire street during the launch.

"Some of the [actors] just got carried away," explained Netflix spokesman Steve Swasey. "We did not pay them to attend the press event. We didn't need to. The event was very well attended."

"We are embarrassed," added Swasey. "We regret that this put a blemish on what should have been a perfect day for Netflix."

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