in_the_media

Video Hoaxes: We're Such Suckers

Media Outlet: 

Discovery News

In a viral video, NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon disguises himself as a suburban dweeb and takes a local car salesman for a terrifying test drive. The prank generated 30 million page views and a surprising amount of debate over whether it was real or staged. “Anyone who has even had a remote association with video or TV production knows it’s a fake," says Joe Glennon, an associate professor of advertising at Temple. There's a CLOSED COURSE disclaimer on the bottom of the screen. And no lawyer on the planet would let a Pepsi film crew put people in danger like that for a commercial prank.