During the commercials for the mid-season finale for ‘The Walking Dead‘ you may have noticed a creepy commercial dealing with rats and had no idea what it was for. You weren’t alone. This great piece of viral marketing had quite a few people wondering what it was leading up to and it looks like this swarm of rodents is going to end up being the first piece of marketing for Guillermo del Toro’s (‘Pacific Rim’) ‘The Strain‘.

For those who are unsure what this has to do with ‘The Strain’ there is a moment in the novel itself where rats escape from the sewers that this is most likely either a tribute to or will be a part of. On top of that half way through the commercial in small letters you can make out ‘He is here.’ on the screen.

With a cast that includes David Bradley (‘Game of Thrones’), David Stoll (‘House of Cards’), Sean Astin (‘The Lord of the Rings’) and Robert Maillet (‘300’, ‘Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters‘) all in an ongoing horror themed television show you just know I’m excited. Add in that it’s based on a novel del Toro helped write on a network known for gritty television? I can’t wait!

Novel Synopsis:

They have always been here. Vampires. In secret and in darkness. Waiting. Now their time has come.

In one week, Manhattan will be gone. In one month, the country. In two months–the world.

A Boeing 777 arrives at JFK and is on its way across the tarmac, when it suddenly stops dead. All window shades are pulled down. All lights are out. All communication channels have gone quiet. Crews on the ground are lost for answers, but an alert goes out to the CDC. Dr. Eph Goodweather, head of their Canary project, a rapid-response team that investigates biological threats, gets the call and boards the plane. What he finds makes his blood run cold.

In a pawnshop in Spanish Harlem, a former professor and survivor of the Holocaust named Abraham Setrakian knows something is happening. And he knows the time has come, that a war is brewing . . .

So begins a battle of mammoth proportions as the vampiric virus that has infected New York begins to spill out into the streets. Eph, who is joined by Setrakian and a motley crew of fighters, must now find a way to stop the contagion and save his city–a city that includes his wife and son–before it is too late.

What are your thoughts on the first piece of viral marketing? It’s a little vague to be sure but did it grab your attention? Share your thoughts below!

Source: Bleeding Cool