Svedka Vodka’s channels The Ring in online Halloween ad stunt

Svedka Vodka has tapped into our biggest online fear – that the internet is basically haunting us as we browse for its Halloween campaign.

In a video that echos that of Samara in The Ring, once you’ve watched it, Svedka Vodka ads ‘follow’ you round the Internet wherever you go to remind you that your every move is being tracked by advertisers.

So far, so spooky…

The curse messages are based on information that the ad knows about the user. Some examples of phrases sent include: ‘I heart following you around New York,’ (geo-targeting shudder), ‘You shouldn’t be up this late,’ ‘I know you like the wrong vodka,’ and ‘On your phone, calling for help?’

People can break the curse and be free of the banners by visiting the Svedka Vodka site and sharing the only thing  seen as more despicable than re-targeting banner ads: clickbait news articles (silent scream). If any of their friends click on the article, they’ll be redirected to the curse video that cookies them and starts the whole ‘hellish’ process all over again.

I LOVE THIS! It’s been picked up a lot by the marketing and advertising press, but sadly not hit the consumer press in the same way. It’s fiendishly clever and speaks to Svedka’s millennial target audience. Kudos to Bensimon Byrne, the agency behind the idea.

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