8 of the most convincing online hoaxes

Massive Slip ‘N Slides, flying penguins and hacking screens in Times Square—did you fall for these acts of online, promotional trickery?

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If there’s one way to get people talking about your product, it’s to create a viral video. While it’s far easier said than done, it isn’t stopping companies, brands, groups and people from creating campaigns or stories in an attempt to be the next big viral hit.

Creating something that people will talk about or share is the aim of every viral campaign. However, a strategy that many people use is to manifest a situation or event to catch people’s attention and later associate it with the product or subject you’re promoting.

Sometimes we can immediately spot a fake campaign, and other times arguments erupt about whether or not it’s real. Some campaigns are so unbelievable that we just play along, either because they’re so impressive or because we want to believe they’re actually true.

Below are examples of viral hoaxes that became incredibly popular due to their content—before they were revealed for their true purposes.

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