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This Deodorant Ad Is Meant to Make You Sweat

Feb. 16, 2013 3:20pm Madeleine Morgenstern

Nivea Deodorant Ad Tricks People Into Thinking Theyre Wanted By the Police

Image source: YouTube

Newsflash: Stress makes you sweat. And that’s just what the folks at Nivea were hoping to capitalize on when they tricked several unsuspecting people into thinking they were the targets of a police manhunt.

The Germany-based skincare company surreptitiously snapped photos of people waiting at the airport, then instantly created fake newspapers with their faces labeled as fugitives — which actors casually made sure they got a good look at. Next, an announcement came over the intercom giving the targets’ physical descriptions and saying they were wanted by police. Finally, TVs blared “breaking news” that warned they were “dangerous and unpredictable.”

As the prank victims quickly realized they were the ones being sought — despite protests like “I didn’t do anything!” — they were approached by “security” who asked, “Are you stressed?” then pulled out a metal case…filled with Nivea’s “Stress Protect” deodorant.

“We want to illustrate the reactions that stress can trigger in the human body to consumers in an entertaining way,” said Ingo Tanger, marketing director at Nivea parent company Beiersdorf, according to Yahoo!

The video production company explained that the targets were brought to the airport by friends “under some pretext” — but only once the production company verified they didn’t have any medical conditions (“such as a weak heart”) did the prank proceed.

In a video about the making of the ad, a young woman who was pranked explained in German, “First, I thought that I’m dreaming or that my photo was mixed up. I thought someone took my photo from Facebook and it was mixed up with someone else’s.”

But she took it pretty well after it was all over, saying, “Actually it was really funny. I found it quite cool.”

(h/t Yahoo!)

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Comments (39)

mlimberg
Posted on February 19, 2013 at 11:14am
I like the Obama thought…. what if they posted all the crime he has committed, then posted his picture….

That would make a great political ad.

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demsrtraitors
Posted on February 17, 2013 at 3:19pm
that was pretty good. But I would have loved to have seen some obama supporters watching t.v and see it announced welfare and social programs exclusively for them were to be stopped. Then watch the sweating begin. Maybe even a riot LOL

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- busterpuddles
  Posted on February 18, 2013 at 5:11am
  I agree. That would’ve been even better.
  
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busterpuddles
Posted on February 17, 2013 at 3:02pm
That stressed me out just watching it. That was a great practical joke-turned-promotion..

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twistin
Posted on February 17, 2013 at 3:02pm
Gestressed means lawsuit in American.

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Rowgue
Posted on February 17, 2013 at 12:19pm
So much funnier than most of the “pranks” that get posted on the blaze. At least it’s an actual prank and not just an idiot making a fool of himself.

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- Caballosinnombre
  Posted on February 17, 2013 at 1:14pm
  Pranks like these could backfire if the person really is on the run.
  
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Onodacops
Posted on February 17, 2013 at 10:32am
Can you imagine doing this at O’Hare in Chicago ?

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- VagueSoul25
  Posted on February 17, 2013 at 4:24pm
  I try to stick with midway and avoid that hell hole at all costs.
  
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1956
Posted on February 17, 2013 at 8:14am
Must be the Europeans idea of humor. Glad I don’t live in Europe.

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betterpart
Posted on February 17, 2013 at 4:28am
Not very amusing, entertaining, or even smart to do such a thing to those people. I never buy any product with an annoying or stupid ad, which itself speaks for the product. That aside, ‘sweating’ is a natural body function and has a purpose, of which should not be stymied. Nivea also contains aluminum which was found to have a dangerous link to cancer and Alzheimer’s.

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- 1956
  Posted on February 17, 2013 at 8:26am
  According to the latest research, there is no connection between aluminum and Alzheimer’s. Thea notion that aluminum was a link to Alzheimer’s was prevalent in the ’60′s and ’70′s. A lot of research has been done since then, and there are very (VERY) few who believe that aluminum is still a cause of Alzheimer’s.
  
  After having had several of my family members have the disease, I personally think it is linked to several factors, such as extreme stress in individuals who physically and mentally do not handle stress well.
  
  Report this comment
- gosutag
  Posted on February 17, 2013 at 10:49am
  @BETTERPART: You’re so dramatic haha. Your life must be miserable if all you think about is how some advertisement determines whether or not you buy some product.
  
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- Kupo
  Posted on February 17, 2013 at 10:48pm
  All anti-perspirants contain aluminum. It’s kinda, you know, the active ingredient. I bet you’re a lot of fun to be forced into close proximity to.
  
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KevINtampa
Posted on February 17, 2013 at 2:36am
START CONSPIRACY

I studied subliminal messaging concepts for a thesis I wrote a looong time ago. This ad would have been submitted as evidence to the argument I made. It’s getting people used to the idea that more and more people, just everyday people, will be singled out via media outlets and call for the population to turn them in and that it’s normal; even something to laugh about. It’s also stating that you do not want to be one of these people, so get in line and turn in your guns, don’t home school – put your kid in the hands of the state where they belong, pay your outrageous tax dues, or be placed on the front page, headline news, or text alert (i.e. Amber Alert).

It’s coming folks, and people this time around won’t need to wear a yellow star to immediately recognize those being singled out…your cell phone will point these people out for you…and this ad is preparing your mind for it.

END CONSPIRACY

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Jake Dog2
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 8:13pm
Stupid

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- SUNTZU
  Posted on February 16, 2013 at 11:31pm
  They could sell this stuff by the gallon
  in DC
  Anybody smell fish???
  
  Report this comment
- horsehockey
  Posted on February 17, 2013 at 9:45am
  It’s the DC tourists so saith Harry Reid.
  
  Report this comment
Pillar of Fire
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 7:56pm
Not funny, Nivea. Adrenal Exhaustion is what happens when you get stressed out (probably too common these days). Your adrenals shut down & you get too sick to really care. You just don’t want to hurt any more, and be able to take a full breath and relax tight muscles and be able to digest food so the nausea will go away. Don’t know if it’s the chemtrails or fluoride or GMOs but it’s NOT funny. No more stress, please. had my share…

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- Kupo
  Posted on February 17, 2013 at 10:49pm
  lol
  
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EQUALIZER
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 6:33pm
Yeah, that was so funny I forgot to laugh Todd!

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sligresda
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 6:20pm
that was pretty dang good. was laughin out loud.

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jp2feminist
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 6:14pm
Does the phrase “crying wolf” ring a bell? In an airport? Really?? This is disgusting. Leave it up to the Germans to do something like this. Heartless bastards.

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- johnannegalt
  Posted on February 17, 2013 at 12:54am
  What is your problem?? Did this infringe on anyone’s rights, or yours for that matter? You chose to watch it, that doesn’t make Germans “heartless bastards”- in fact it demonstrates their great marketing ability considering they got you to watch their commercial. And if you want to get all biased against a certain nationality (probably based on one thing alone, that being the Holocaust), then I guess I should be biased against “heartless bastard” Americans for locking up Japanese, burning accused witches alive, forcing half the nation to comply with tyranny by jailing political opponents and using military force against private citizens, and enslaving a fraction of the population based on skin tone. But I digress. My point is, don’t be so eager to throw an entire nationality under the bus.
  
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Skip63
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 6:10pm
Can’t imagine them doing that to an actual bystander.
I’m calling fake do to the potential for a law suit.
Nothing is real today folks. It’s mostly all thought up to keep your
small minds entertained. Keep moving, nothing to see here folks.

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- Nabuquduriuzhur
  Posted on February 16, 2013 at 7:57pm
  I agree.
  
  I can’t imagine an airport going along with that. Liability, if nothing else.
  
  It’s fake like the “radioactive pigs” story and the “river of oil on the bottom of the gulf” stories.
  
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- American Soldier (Separated)
  Posted on February 16, 2013 at 8:23pm
  If you actually read the article, you did read the article right, it said that the targets were set up by a friend. They were not chosen at random, they were set up by a friend. Usually, they profile the person. They do back fire occassionaly, the one prank from Scare Tactics where the guy smashed the actors face from the back seat thinking he was a murderous hitchhiker was hilarious. The actors know the consequences and take the risk.
  
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so3
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 6:04pm
Brilliant.

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silentme63
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 6:02pm
that is freaking funny..

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willbedone
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 5:56pm
It is only funny when it happens to someone else

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- Kupo
  Posted on February 17, 2013 at 10:51pm
  Really? Because that one woman they targeted seemed to find it rather amusing.
  
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VetMike
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 5:47pm
It’s all funny until someone loses an eye than it is absolutely hilarious!

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BoJacksonFive
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 5:19pm
It would be even funnier, if one of the people got really, really paranoid, pulled out a knife and started to stab all the perps who were pretending to be “authorities” in this ad….right????

Sick, sick ad….

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whatthecrazy
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 4:59pm
That was fun,i could watch this long long time.

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SocialistSlayer
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 4:15pm
Does it protect from Pooped in Undies?

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- whatthecrazy
  Posted on February 16, 2013 at 4:57pm
  Omg lololololol
  
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Jelly_Belly
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 4:00pm
Awesome.

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Tri-ox
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 3:50pm
How awful.

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Grasshopper42
Posted on February 16, 2013 at 3:43pm
That was fun!

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