Viral video may be dead, but that doesn't mean that the whole concept of the "viral" campaign has disappeared. It's just moved on to newer, more annoying creative formats. And now viral campaigns don't even need a corporate sponsor—agencies are doing them with the mere hope of attracting a corporate sponsor. Advertising apocalypse, or creative marketing? Or maybe both?

An agency called General Projects launched a site called Schtock.com that basically shows cut little mashups of stock photos. Everybody assumed it was a viral campaign for Corbis, the stock photo company. But actually GP did it on their own, and then took all the attention it generated and went to Corbis like, Hey, hire us, we can get you attention like this! So far Corbis hasn't done it. [via Adrants]

So, waste of time, right? Unless you consider pics like these art, in which case, good job of making internet art. Ultimately the agency probably will get business off this clever stunt, but let's hope the idea doesn't spread. We have enough viral shit as it is without people doing it on spec:

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