2012 called, and it wants its prankvertising back.
Danish real-estate site Lejebolig.dk and production company Mayday Films staged a hidden-camera apartment haunting that was designed to warn the public to use common sense and avoid rental rip-offs.
The scenario is well staged and restrained by the standards of the genre. Still, the basic setup seems stale from its use in other campaigns, and there's a disconnect between intent and execution that further lessens its impact.
An actor plays a landlord seeking to interest tenants in the Copenhagen flat of his recently deceased father. He leaves for a few minutes, and the weirdness begins. Picture frames, lamps, cookware and a clown doll on a mini-tricycle—the latter a nod to the Saw films—move by themselves. There are also freaky noises, and a radio suddenly springs to life.
Frankly, I'd take the place. Who cares about ghosts? That living room is huge!
Some of the victims scream a lot, probably horrified that they're trapped in yet another "spooky" ad stunt. Indeed, it's scary how familiar such pranks have become, so it's probably time to exorcise them from the marketing playbook.
Via Adrants.