'Prometheus' viral video

Here's the new "commercial" for David, the Weyland Industries robot played by Michael Fassbender in Ridley Scott's upcoming sci-fi film "Prometheus."

This is a neat trick, a commercial for a fake product (the robot) but also for a real one (the movie). It nails the visual language of television ads perfectly, as you might expect from Scott, who created Apple's famous "1984" spot. (It also owes some strong debts to Kubrick's "2001.") But this "ad" is probably too subtle for television, with no explicit references to "Prometheus" at all, which makes it the perfect Internet meme, suitable for forwarding to friends (or posting on culture-tracking blogs like this one).

Titled "Happy Birthday David," this video may help generate buzz for "Prometheus," whose unclear connections to Scott's classic "Alien" (is it a prequel, a sequel, or what?l) have been both a help and a hindrance in terms of expecations. But this two-and-a-half minute ad already promises more imagination, humor and visual intelligence than the average summer sci-fi blockbuster.

"Prometheus," which also stars Charlize Theron, Noomi Rapace and Guy Pearce, is due in theaters June 8.