Who’s behind the Apple ‘wake up’ campaign? - Updated

A faux flashmob outside a Sydney Apple store has been causing consternation over the weekend, as people around the world attempt to identify the organisation responsible for the spectacle.

The stunt took place on April 22, when a black bus with 'wake up' screenprinted in white on the side pulled up outside the store. A swarm of people dressed in black stepped out and started waving identical 'wake up' signs and chanting, you guessed it, 'wake up'.

Blogger Nate 'Blunty3000' Burr captured the incident, having been outside the store playing with a new purchase.

Billboards bearing the slogan have gone up around Sydney, it's also been written on the bottom of the Bondi Ice Bergs pool, and this website displays it along with a countdown set to run out around midnight on Sunday May 6 (Sydney time).

9 to 5 Mac says the website is connected to an ad agency called Tongue, which lists PR stunts among its offerings.

There's obviously serious money behind this campaign, but the most likely candidate, Samsung, has denied involvement.

The company is hyping an unveiling event in London this week, and previously garnered a lot of attention with its series of ads lampooning Apple's cult-like worship among fans. However, according to SlashGear Samsung Australia say they  have nothing to do with 'wake up'.

Nokia has also taken a shot at Apple recently, claiming in a campaign for the Lumia 900 that smartphones have been in beta for the last five years (since the launch of the iPhone).

Who do you think could be behind the stunt? Samsung? Nokia? Apple themselves? Post your comments below.

Update: Research In Motion has taken credit for last week's 'wake up' campaign outside a Sydney Apple store.

On April 22 a crowd of people dressed in black turned up in a bus outside the store, chanting and holding up signs that said 'wake up'.

Attention immediately turned to Samsung, but they were quick to deny responsibility.

Now, Research In Motion Australia has released a statement via its PR company that the campaign is one of theirs.

"We can confirm that the Australian 'wake up' campaign, which involves a series of experiential activities taking place across Sydney and Melbourne, was created by RIM Australia.

"A reveal will take place on May 7th that will aim to provoke conversation on what 'being in business' means to Australians."

Judging by the statement, it sounds like the campaign is aiming for more than just the cheeky laughs that Samsung garnered from its 'Cult of Apple' ads.

The Australian government recently confirmed it will conduct an inquiry into several technology companies, including Apple, querying why customers in Australia seem to pay more for content and software downloads than those overseas.

Whether RIM is hoping to 'provoke conversation' on this or another topic, or just trying to draw attention to a new offering, the reveal on Monday had better be solid, because they've taken a big gamble attracting this kind of attention.