The Twitter account @ShellIsPrepared is not affiliated with the Shell energy company, but rather is part of an elaborate online hoax set up by the environmentalist group Greenpeace and social activists The Yes Men.

Since last June, visitors to ArcticReady.com were met with a website that on first glance appeared to be an authentic Shell site, but in reality was a mock site as part of a full-on digital effort that began with a viral video set up to protest the company and draw attention to the environmental costs of the energy industry.

At the heart of the satirical site are a series of fake advertisements seemingly designed to get viewers to do an unbelieving double-take.

"Helping the torch of humanity shine just a little bit brighter. Let's go," reads one ad that shows a steaming refuse dump.

The site made a stir when it was first noticed, but the controversy was rekindled on Wednesday as Twitter users fell for satirical tweets from @ShellIsPrepared, an account tied to the hoax project.

Tweets from the hoax account threatened legal action against people tweeting about the site, while one tweet demanding that Twitter users not retweet @ShellIsPrepared has received more than 3,000 retweets.

PLEASE DO NOT RETWEET ANY OF OUR TWEETS. They are intended for their @ recipients only! — Social Media Team (@ShellisPrepared) July 18, 2012

WE'RE FLATTERED BY THE ATTENTION BUT PLEASE STOP. We'd hate to get the #Shell legal team involved. — Social Media Team (@ShellisPrepared) July 18, 2012

@pistachiopete Please stop sharing ads, we are in the process of removing inappropriate ones. — Social Media Team (@ShellisPrepared) July 17, 2012

Many Twitter users mistakenly believed the account to be an official Shell account in the midst of a social media public relations breakdown:

Shell is BEGGING people not to RT these hilarious anti-Shell pictures! LOL! arcticready.com/social/gallery — Lorelei Mission (@LoreleiMission) July 18, 2012

Anyone not following @ShellisPrepared today really should be. A masterclass in not to do social media. — Vivienne Egan (@VivEgan41) July 18, 2012

this @ShellisPrepared business is possibly the funniest PR disaster I've ever witnessed — Lex (@lexcanroar) July 18, 2012

Greenpeace and The Yes Men posted details about the campaign early last month. Do you think the ArcticReady campaign is an effective way for Greenpeace and The Yes Men to protest Shell? Check out their parody ads below, then share your thoughts in the comments.

Fake Shell ArcticReady Ads

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, RapidEye