Despite all the futuristic predictions made in the 1989 film "Back To The Future Part II," producers failed to make a big one: How tech companies, corporations and even politicians would milk Oct. 21, 2015 -- the day Marty McFly visits in the future -- for publicity.
Nike, Apple and Google have all honored the day with products that are either real, slightly possible or completely imaginary.
Nike kickstarted the BTTF Day publicity blitz on Wednesday when it reportedly dropped off a pair of self-lacing Air MAGs resembling those worn by the film's star, Michael J. Fox. The shoes will be auctioned off in 2016, with proceeds going to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.
Whoever purchases these truly pumped-up kicks will probably need to drop a lot of dough: Similarly-styled sneakers made without the self-tying laces have sold for as much as $16,000 on eBay, according to Details.com.
Siri is also jumping on the BTTF Day bandwagon. People who say "Happy Back To The Future Day" to Apple's virtual aide will hear her respond with cheeky comments like these:
- "Happy Back to the Future Day. Let me know if you need to set a timer for your dehydrated pizza.”
- "Happy Back to the Future Day! Strap on those power-lacing shoes and grab a hoverboard!”
- "Happy Back to the Future Day! Maybe the Cubs will win the World Series in the year… oh, never mind.”
Google is also cashing in on this publicity stunt opportunity: The company sent out a tweet that links to a "confidential" PDF about something called Project Flux. As those familiar with the movie series might have guessed, Google's "Project Flux" deals with a Flux capacitor, the object that allowed a DeLorean to travel 30 years into the future at 88 mph. The PDF attempts to showcase the science behind the film's technology, but don't expect a real-life product release -- it's all in fun.
Here's Google's Project Flux document:
But tech companies and corporations aren't the only ones jumping on the BTTF Day publicity juggernaut, as this tweet from Senator Ted Cruz amply demonstrates:
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