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'Prankstervising' Is The Latest Brand-Boosting Ad Strategy

It's a brave new world for advertising. In an attempt to vie for viewers scattered attention these days, ad agencies will do pretty much anything to cement brand awareness in the minds of consumers. Enter the age of "prankstervising." If you can get someone to scream, chances are you'll get them to remember, or so marketers believe. Here are a few of the best/worst prank ads.

1. Telekinesis prank in a coffee shop for the remake of Carrie.

2. Devil Baby pranks unsuspecting New Yorkers to create buzz for the horror movie, Devil's Due. The prank was more popular than the movie.

3. Gatorade: You've got to sweat it to get it, Peyton Manning version.

4. Pepsi Max: the mild version of a bus shelter prank.

5. The Curse of Chucky: the terrifying version of a bus shelter prank.

6. What happens when prankstervising goes too far? Here's a video that imagines the next step in guerrilla advertising: Middle of the night burglaries! Kidnapping babies! The best quote from the video? "Most ads are dramatic, we want them to be traumatic."

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