Not Up for Work? Blame It on the Cat.

Mike's Hard Lemonade has added a new entry to the annals of slightly bizarre viral marketing gimmicks.

"Do you need a 3-Day Weekend?," reads the "Victim Video" promo text on the Mike's Hard webpage. "Sure you'd like to go to work today. But, unfortunately, you were just the victim of a tragic incident. And here's how to prove it to your boss and co-workers."

The "Victim Video" feature gives you three options for zany mishaps that could serve as emailed video excuses for your absence from work, customized with your photo and name: being stuck on a malfunctioning carnival ride, sucked into a motorized street sweeper, or revived from a state of unconsciousness by CPR administered by your cat.

Mike's Hard, the maker of sweet malt beverages favored by the frat party set, isn't the first to discover customizable voice and video as marketing promo.

In August 2006, New Line promoted its goofy thriller pic (and unlikely cult sensation) Snakes on a Plane by providing customizable voice-overs by Samuel L. Jackson that will "call" your friends and encourage them to see the movie.

The Office reprised a similar device in October to promote DVD sales by offering a phone call from Dwight Schrute, one of the show's loveable odd-ball characters.

Then came the videos. In order to promote its serial-killer "dramody" ( a cross between a drama and comedy) Dexter, last summer Showtime invited fans to personalize and send to friends a faux newscast revealing the recipient to be the next victim of a serial killer; a concept which toes the line of good taste, and is certainly limited to certain audiences.

The new video by Mike's Hard borrows the newscast format, and while it trumps Dexter in sophomoric humor, it lacks some of the sophistication of the earlier effort.

As far as viral video goes, the Victim Video doesn't hold a candle to Smirnoff's masterful viral 2006 promotion for Raw Tea, which can be seen here.

But we still found a way to have fun with it - imaging how a certain Bear Stearns executive might have used the excuse-generator to keep himself out of hot water,

Liz Gunnison