The Crop Circle that Took the Internet by Storm! December 2013

In December 2013, a mysterious crop circle appeared in a rye field in Chualar, California. The images went viral—over a million views worldwide. The leading theory? Aliens.

Here’s what really happened:

A month earlier, Pat and I were asked to take a client on a location-scouting helicopter flight to find a winter-green field near Silicon Valley. Pat spotted the perfect rye field with a mature crop nearly a foot tall, Bingo! Overnight, it was transformed into an intricate crop circle.

Our job wasn’t done yet. We were hired to capture images of the crop circle. To send something quickly, I shot a short iPhone video. The client shared it on social media, and within hours, the internet exploded with theories. Enthusiasts climbed fences, trampled crops, and camped out—convinced they were witnessing something extraterrestrial.

As for the farmer? He was well compensated for his entire crop, but eager to plow everything under and be done with it.

Then came the big reveal:NVIDIA had orchestrated the whole thing as a publicity stunt to introduce a new chip.

A brilliant marketing move? Absolutely. Proof that great storytelling and viral content can captivate the world? Without a doubt.