The first organization using viral marketing as promotion strategies

Do you know which organization using viral marketing as promotion strategies in the first?

Here's the result:

It's the cult film Blair Witch Project:

The makers of the film deliberately spread the Blair Witch urban myth two years before it is being announced. They cleverly chose college campus for initial screening because students are forever curious and have plenty of time for gossips. A web site was launched later and a discussion group was planted to generate interest and to keep the momentum going.

A fake "documentary" were also co-produced with the SciFi channel on the Blair Witch curse and was sired just days before the film was released.
In three years the film had grossed US$241mn at a cost of just $35,000, so this is a very sucessful sample in the viral marketing!