It always interested me just how much the term “Russian Roulette” has permeated out culture. Anything that’s dangerous and involves chance is said to be “like russian roulette” for X. People can only speculate that the game is named due to its suspected origins, and I always wondered if the Russians were offended by the connotation or if they wore it like a badge of ultimate badassery.
None of my fascination with the term ever tempted me to play, however, as I really do have the worst luck ever – just ask my Tuesday poker group. But what if all you had to lose was your virtual life? On Facebook? Would you try it for the rush? What if surviving the game meant you could win a free vacation?
A video has begun to circulate around the interwebs from Berlin, Germany division of The Miami Ad School. It is a spec promotion involving guns, vodka and Facebook. The spec promotion offers people the chance to win a 7 day trip to Russia courtesy of Russian Standard vodka.
The catch is that to be entered to do so, you must participate in a game of online Russian Roulette with your Facebook life on the line. To play, you turn your Facebook password over and one by one you and your friends pull the virtual trigger. Losers will be “killed” online, as thier Facebook accounts will be deleted.
But alas, it is only a thought. But it may be one that we see materialize in the future.
This Facebook Russian Roulette business would have been brutal back when Facebook was just for college kids and it required your valid .edu email address to register. Losing this game would have seriously killed your virtual self. Now, the dead would be able to resurrect their accounts, but they would have to start all over. So while not devastating, it sure would be a pain in the ass.
For the social media addicted, however, losing this game of online Russian Roulette might prompt them to try out the real thing.
But no doubt, if this concept becomes a reality, it will draw massive attention on Facebook. And why shouldn’t it? People love a rush. And these days possibly losing your Facebook profile, if for only a little while, could prove to be quite a rush.
[ via PSFK]