A Book With A View
Yamaguchi: The Web site [www.Nextgencode.com] is [for] a faux genetics company called Nextgencode, and it was a way to feature elements in the book [including] the science of genetics in a humorous/future-is-now kind of way. The online videos were commercials for Nextgencode—one featured fat soap, another the gene for blonde hair. There’s also a commercial for a Bug DNA Kit, as well as a cure for anhedonia [the inability to experience pleasure from normally pleasurable life events such as eating, exercise, etc.]. The biggest hit was the commercial for perma-puppies, puppies that never grow up. These videos served to give depth to the online campaign, and they were just entertaining in a provocative way. Is this real? Is this just around the corner? It helped to push people into thinking about the issues addressed in “Next.”
- Companies:
- HarperCollins
Matt Steinmetz is the publisher and brand director of Publishing Executive.