Prank videos are the newest marketing tool for advertising companies!
Many companies are utilizing the prank element to make their videos go viral, and in turn promote their brand.
The Carrie video is one of the most recent of these undercover videos to go viral, garnering over 46 million views since October 7th. Using telekinesis, the creepy talent Carrie is known for, the video shocks and disturbs not only the viewer, but the patrons of an unsuspecting NYC coffee shop. To show just how social media can work for your brand/company, the prank video even features one patron using her phone to record the incident while screaming and running away. What makes this prank video so impactful is the uninhibited reaction of the patrons involved. The well-executed prank took a great deal of planning and technical expertise to flawlessly unfold.
An earlier prank video was used by Pepsi in order to promote their PepsiMax product. Similarly to Carrie, Pepsi incorporates the brand into the prank video by using the Pepsi can as a hidden camera within the vehicle. This element of disguise is repeated not only with the slogan “A zero-calorie cola in disguise,” but also in the fact that NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon is disguised as a test-driving civilian.
These videos are fun, playful, and get people talking – but the core of this marketing tool relies on the fact that the companies tie in their brand within the prank. The videos wouldn’t have been as effective in garnering brand awareness if they were simply entertaining, yet did not relate to the product/brand/service. For example, the Carrie prank used telekinesis, which is the main element of the film, and Pepsi used disguise to illustrate that consumers can’t tell the difference between Pepsi and Pepsi Max.
