Did you happen upon a herd of cows around NYC yesterday? Or a group of Segway riders? It was all part of a marketing campaign for Fringe, the new Fox sci-fi drama from J.J. Abrams that took over NYC yesterday, the same day the show was announced.

Starring Joshua Jackson and debuting this fall, Fringe focuses on a weirdo research scientist, his son, and a FBI agent who connects them.

So what's behind the publicity stunts?

The most outrageous part of the campaign will see Fox importing two dozen cows to heavy traffic locations in Manhattan. The bovine billboards will be accompanied by street teams handing out all sorts of "Fringe"-themed merchandise, from T-shirts to apples.

Other street teams will ride around town on Segway scooters or moving on foot. All told, Fox will hand out more than 5,000 "Fringe" items around the city.

The network is also investing in paid media for "Fringe." Fox has bought a full-page ad to run on the back cover of Thursday's New York Times Arts section and a 1⁄2 page ad in the New York Post.

Fox has also printed special editions of the Post wrapped with four-page "Fringe" ads. Street teams will hand out the special copies of the newspaper at commuter hot spots such as Grand Central Station.

The network will also be advertising heavily on a jumbo screen in Times Square, as well as more than 40 digital billboards attached to subway entrances.

And once the sun sets, random video projectors set up around New York City will beam "Fringe" ads on the sides of buildings and other public space. [TVW]