Drummond Puddle Watch: Marketing company reveals truth behind Periscope livestream phenomenon

'It hasn't stopped raining in December,' the company's managing director said. 'And — God bless the internet — the rest is history'

A livestream of a puddle of water in Newcastle was set up by a marketing company, but the firm claims that it was set up purely for staff's “own amusement”.

The now famous puddle has seen tens of thousands of people flocking to the Periscope livestreaming app to see people attempt to negotiate a big puddle that stands between a path and the road.

The stream was set up by staff at Newcastle-based marketing company Drummond Central, which describes itself as a "strategic marketing, creative and digital agency". But the company says that no products or services will be promoted through the feed, and that it was set up only for fun.

Asked about worries that the famous puddle was really just a marketing stunt, staff said: “Not at all. Not in the slightest”.

The idea behind the puddle began because it has kept raining through December and into January and people haven't been able to cross it, staff at the company said. People in the office have been unable to stop watching people try and cross the puddle and decided to share that experience with the world, they claimed.

“It hasn't stopped raining in December,” said Beth Hazon, managing director at Drummond Central. “That walkway is a place where people walk to do the school run, and it's also on the Metro system.

“The puddle has been there for the past four weeks or so. On a daily basis we've watched the variety of ways that they've tried to pass it.

“Our copywriter Steve Wilkes had an idea this morning that we should stream it on Periscope for our own amusement.

“And — God bless the internet — the rest is history.”