When you look at an App's details, and see "0.1 MB" listed as the file size, chances are its not gonna do a whole lot. The aptly named "I Am Rich" iPhone App delivers on that promise. At $999.99, you get a swirling, glowing ruby that gyrates around the screen. Yay.
Apple has finally pulled the App, adding to the two other yanked apps over the past few weeks. But at least the others (NetShare, which turns your iPhone into a wireless modem which, as you might suspect, violates AT&T's user agreement, and BoxOffice, which simply listed movie times) performed functions.
However, Armin Heinrich, the developer, may have just been attempting to market his other applications. If that's the case then bravo, because he got plenty of hype from a very simple, very cheap creation that displays his name overhead. This recent trend of controversial, borderline viral (with perhaps more sickness than spread) marketing is having mixed receptions. Burger King's Subserviant Chicken was a success measured by unique hits, but did it make people buy more Whoppers? Virgin Mobile had its famed "mangina" controversy, but did that many more people sign up for the service because they had more media impressions of "virgin mobile" next to "mangina"? Who knows, the data and tactics are all too young to measure any significant effect.
It is good to know that some companies are thinking a bit more outside the box. But c'mon Armin, enough with the worthless Apps. Seriously. Give us something useful.
Knock-offs inspired by "I Am Rich" per Adrian Kingsley from zdnet: "I Am Stupid" ($1999.99); "I Was Rich" ($10,000,000); "I Am Poor" ($.01).
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