Pulling a prank on unsuspecting individuals is all of the rage in the world of advertising. "Prankvertising" as it's affectionately called, sets up an average person in an extraordinary event. The experience is taped, uploaded and a viral hit is born.
This video of people being duped into thinking a woman covered in coffee is telekinetic is just the latest example of prankvertising. Here shocked coffee buyers watch as the woman lifts a man into the air, moves furniture and even pops pictures and books off the wall. The event was just one big promotion for the movie Carrie.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=IOdCRauh2Yg?rel=0
It's actually a pretty clever prank. Will the success of this stunt lead to a boost in ticket sales for Carrie? We'll have to wait and see. It certainly got people talking which should make a larger audience familiar with the remake of a classic film, but it's unclear whether or not stunts like these actually convert into tangible sales.
We've seen plenty of stunts like these in the past. LG recently convinced people they were witnessing a meteor crashing into Earth and Nivea deodorant made people believe they were wanted fugitives. Prankvertising has been huge in other countries and now it appears to be spreading in the United States.