Wii Fit girlfriend viral video actually an ad?

In the clip, Gutierrez is sitting in the corner of a front room, before panning over to his girlfriend playing Wii Fit at the other end of the room. At the end of the video he makes a facial gesture of appreciation at the camera. It has had over 2 million hits.

However, the video has fallen under suspicion as being a viral ad after it was revealed that Gutierrez is the director of interactive media for Tinsley Full Service Advertising--indeed the original YouTube video poster is called 'tinsleyadvertising.' According to his company bio, "he creates web, e-mail, and interactive marketing solutions that perfectly integrate with television, radio, and print campaigns." He also has a history in game design.

Furthermore, Lauren Bernat is also in the employ of Tinsley as an account executive. Her duties include "evaluating the responses to our Internet advertising, coordinating special projects and co-op advertising programs and maintaining collateral summary reports for three fulfilment houses worldwide."

Nintendo has denied any connection to the video. A statement issued confirmed, "This is absolutely, 100 percent nothing to do with Nintendo. Nintendo did not create it and were not aware of it until it was brought to our attention."

Gutierrez, quoted in Metro, said, "I thought it was cute and it was actually done with good intentions. My girlfriend was furious when she found out. She called me on the phone screaming her head off and then hung up on me." She has since forgiven the virtual voyeur, and is said to be enjoying her 15 minutes of fame, he added.

If the video does prove to be busted as an attempt at viral marketing, it won't be the first to fall flat on its face. At the end of 2006, Sony was uncovered to be behind a Web site supposedly set up by a hip-hop-loving teen called Peter, who blogged about all the reasons why he really, really wanted a PSP for Christmas. Microsoft also earned a certain degree of notoriety for its viral promotions of Halo 2 and the Xbox 360.