Prankvertising

With social media being a necessity for a company these days, we now have constant exposure to marketing campaigns. If we are on Google, on YouTube or on Facebook, there are adverts popping up everywhere. So much so, that it can be irritating.  Now, the challenge for brands is to come up with new and exciting forms of advertising. Lots of brands produce videos, but only handful make viral videos. The viewer is so engaged and they choose to share it among their friends or colleagues.

A type of video that has initiated a lot of people to search for it and to watch it repeatedly are prankvertising videos. From the get go, these videos are dealing with the audience, the ordinary people who are using these products.They supersede the mundane advertisements that we do our best to wade past and they get people talking about the video.

The majority of these pranks do not have the brand’s name in the title. The emphasis is not on the product, but the story and the experiences of the shocked audience. Although there is no doubt about the placement at the end, it does not irritate the consumer in the same way that other pre roll adverts may. Everyone watching cannot help but be engaged and the video goes viral.

Below are 3 examples of prankvertising videos that have went viral and been watch by millions.

Name: Telekinetic Coffee Shop Surprise

Total Views:   53,339,845

Length: 2.23

Published on  Oct 7, 2013

This prank was filmed for the upcoming remake of the horror movie ‘Carrie’. The actress who plays Carrie is annoyed when a man spills coffee on her laptop. She reacts by using her telekinetic powers to push him up against a wall. In reality, the team behind the prank rigged the coffee shop with a fake wall and remote controlled sliding furniture. The customers are shocked, thinking they are witnessing genuine superhuman powers. With over 34,000 comments and thousands of shares, this prank has had an unbelievable amount of interaction in the lead up to the release of ‘Carrie’.

Name: Devil Baby Attack

Total Views:   35,337,570

Length: 1.48

Published on  Jan 14, 2014

This prank was filmed for another horror movie, Devils Due. A robotic devil child in a remote controlled pram awaits intrigued passersby in New York City, while hidden cameras recorded people reactions. Like any other prank video, the reactions may be staged.   But because there is a possibility of these reactions being genuine, it is entertaining. Like Carrie, they forge a link between the horrific and realism – scaring people, even it is only for seconds. Isn’t what you want from a good horror movie?

Name: A DRAMATIC SURPRISE ON A QUIET SQUARE

Total Views:   48,810,777

Length: 1.46

Published on  Apr 11, 2012

This prank was created to launch the American television channel T.N.T. in Belgium. This campaign took place when the creators placed a large red button in the middle of a quiet square in Belgium, saying ‘Push to add drama’. Produced by an agency well use to marketing stunts, Duval Guillaume Modem, this video was watched all over the world and gathered over 10 million YouTube views and 1 million Facebook shares in under 24 hours. The brilliant aspect of this campaign is it doesn’t go overboard in annoying the general public. There is a clear warning that there will be repercussions for ones curiosity. It also advertises precisely what it wants people’s expectations to be of the brand – showing how the channel can add drama to your everyday routine.