Old Xbox 360 advert leads to student suspension

Several Ottawa High School Students have been suspended for re-enacting an old Xbox commercial that involved a mock gun fight. Yes, people are still getting into trouble for attempting to copy the said advert. And who can blame them? Despite the advert’s age, and the fact that it was banned in some areas, its charm still rings true. Forgot the particular ad? Here’s a refresher:

The six students involved in the Ottawa incident were given one-day suspensions due to re-enacting the 360 in their cafeteria. Alex Doward, 17, said he participated in the flash mob – a sudden large gathering of people, supposedly to do something silly – because he wanted to have some fun. He says: “As far as we know, a flash mob is not breaking any school rules. People can point fingers and people can fall backwards.”

Get the rest of the story after the Jump.

Several Ottawa High School Students have been suspended for re-enacting an old Xbox commercial that involved a mock gun fight. Yes, people are still getting into trouble for attempting to copy the said advert. And who can blame them? Despite the advert’s age, and the fact that it was banned in some areas, its charm still rings true. Forgot the particular ad? Here’s a refresher:

The six students involved in the Ottawa incident were given one-day suspensions due to re-enacting the 360 in their cafeteria. Alex Doward, 17, said he participated in the flash mob – a sudden large gathering of people, supposedly to do something silly – because he wanted to have some fun. He says: “As far as we know, a flash mob is not breaking any school rules. People can point fingers and people can fall backwards.”

The Principal’s take? Well, no comment thus far, but Ottawa-Carleton District School Board communications manager Maggie Melenhorst has said: “We have strict expulsion and suspension policies. Whether it’s YouTube, Facebook or flash mob, if an event strips away the ability of students to feel safe … we take action.”

Uh huh. Okay, maybe they should spend more time in Japan – where flash mobs get aired on national television:

In any case, Xbox 360 viral marketing for the win. Yes, re-enactments of the ad counts as free viral advertising for Microsoft. Hey, at least, no high-definition electronics were destroyed due to flying controllers.