How much play did it get when columnists started getting emails from people trying to get a Burger King mask for Halloween at the same time Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Burger King's ad agency was starting a web site where you could buy Burger King masks?
Go to Youtube, and you'll find hundreds of corporate ads supposedly put together by "jes average guys who luv the product."
Political campaigns routinely pass out prepared "home made" signs for people to wave at political rallies.
I can't prove this, but I'll guaran-dam-tee you that if Carbonite was the biggest advertiser on MSNBC the NYTimes wouldn't have printed the story, because it's NOT NEWS.
If this is news, I've got some other headlines for them:
Popular Boy Pretends to Like Unpopular Girl So She'll Have Sex With Him
Father Declares that Everything is An Ordeal When Dealing With His Family
Goth Teen Sits in Back of Minivan So Friends Won't See His Mom Driving Him Around
Fast Food Worker Smoked Marijuana Behind Restaurant During Break; Giggled When Next Customer Asked for a Whopper
Student at Catholic School Made Faces at Nun When Her Back Was Turned
Attractive Woman Escapes Speeding Ticket; Says Officer Was Really Sweet
And every one is true. Fifty times. Every day. They're just not news.