Fake ‘Arrested Development’ LinkedIn Profiles Helped ‘Superfan’ Score Jobs [Video]


arrested development

There are a handful of pages featuring Arrested Development characters on the professional networking site LinkedIn, but they’re not a form of guerrilla marketing for Netflix’s Season 4, at least not on the part of the show’s creators. However, they’re not exactly there by accident, either.

They’re the brainchild of freelance copywriter Justin Racz, who added them to his LinkedIn network in order to help his resume and connections stand out. Profiles for Tobias Funke, George Bluth Sr. and G.O.B Bluth are linked to Racz after a friend suggested he capitalize on the show’s fame.

“I thought it would be a great way to ride kind of the coattails of the buzz for it,” Racz told ABC, adding that he considers himself to be a “superfan” of the hit show.

“I’m not kidding when I tell you this it is my lullaby,” he said. “I have heard … each show multiple times … so like a child listening to a lullaby who knows the story and can just fall asleep, that’s what I would do. I would put it in my computer and close my eyes and fall asleep. It was my lullaby.”

His knowledge of Arrested Development and its characters helped Racz maintain their respective voices in email correspondence with recruiters.

“Recruiters, creative recruiters, have emailed and thought I’d be great for different clients, that my humor would be spot on for certain brands, so I’m speaking to a few of them,” he said.

Part of the reason he created Arrested Development LinkedIn profiles was to showcase his own understanding of the digital environment.

“If you don’t know digital, you’re dead,” he opined. “It’s true. If you don’t know digital, you’re dead and, frankly, I was concerned that my portfolio … shows that I have written a book. That, you know, I’m a dinosaur who writes books.”

Links within the character profiles lead to Racz’s own resume, and his stunt has already scored him some work. He credits this to his unique approach to professional networking.

“I could have sent an email, you know, with my portfolio,” he said, “but so are 10,000 other people.”

What do you think of Justin Racz’s creation of Arrested Development LinkedIn profiles to score him more work? Clever and cunning, or cheap and questionable? Sound off below the video:

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Kokou Adzo

Kokou Adzo is a seasoned professional with a strong background in growth strategies and editorial responsibilities. Kokou has been instrumental in driving companies' expansion and fortifying their market presence. His academic credentials underscore his expertise; having studied Communication at the Università degli Studi di Siena (Italy), he later honed his skills in growth hacking at the Growth Tribe Academy (Amsterdam).

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