Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

Episode: Fakevertising
Date: January 17, 2026
Host: Terry O'Reilly
Produced by: Apostrophe Podcast Network

Episode Overview

Main Theme:
This episode explores the growing phenomenon of “fakevertising”—advertising stunts and campaigns rooted in deliberate fakes, pranks, and playful deception. Terry O’Reilly dives into how brands, comedians, and marketers are leveraging fake products, fake stories, and even fake mistakes to capture public imagination, generate buzz, and drive real results, blurring the lines between legitimacy, performance, and marketing savvy.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Obvious Plant: Comedy, Satire, and Selling the Absurd

[04:47]

• Jeff Wysocki (comedian, “Obvious Plant”) plants convincingly absurd fake products in real stores to surprise shoppers and entertain the public.
  • Created products like “sauerkraut” (bathroom-aged sauerkraut), “box I stole off someone’s porch,” and lip balms in flavors like wet grass, bologna, and shoe leather.
  • Another example: “Barely Any Ketchup,” a nearly empty ketchup bottle boasting “less than one serving.”
• Wysocki’s project melds creativity and marketing savvy:
  • “His inventions were definite surprising.” – Terry O’Reilly [05:42]
• Obvious Plant became a business, selling fake products online—many have sold out, proving there’s profit in faking it.
• Takeaway: “There’s money to be had in them fake products.” – Terry O’Reilly [07:39]
• Insight: The ridiculous can be powerful marketing, and entertainment is a major competitive edge.

2. Corporate Fakevertising: Legitimate Brands, Deliberate Fakery

a. Maybelline’s Viral Fake Stunt

[08:51]

• In London, Maybelline posts a video of a subway train sporting a giant eyelash, brushed by a huge mascara wand as the train passes an ad.
  • The video goes viral: 45 million Instagram views, 2 million likes.
  • The twist: The entire stunt was computer-generated. Londoners tried to find the eyelash setup, only to discover it didn’t exist.
• Maybelline was transparent about the fake, and the campaign was praised anyway.
  • “The trick is to appear absolutely legitimate while gently pulling your leg at the same time.” – Terry O’Reilly [08:11]
• Massive impact: The campaign generated a 110% year-over-year sales increase.
• Memorable Quote:
  • “If attention is the oxygen of marketing, fakery can definitely be the lungs.” – Terry O’Reilly [07:58]

b. Fevicol's The Free Store Prank

[10:05]

• Indian glue brand Fevicol set up a “free store” pop-up in Mumbai: “every item free if you can take it.”
• None of the 80+ displayed items could be physically removed—they were glued down.
• After 20 minutes, signage revealed the Fevicol brand, and the crowd laughed at the clever demo.
  • “Over 80 items... not a single item was taken.” – Terry O’Reilly [12:04]
• Pointed nod to Fevicol and ad agency Ogilvy’s decades-long relationship, emphasizing creativity and humor as consistent brand values.

c. SnickersGate: The Fake Mistake

[15:56]

• Snickers (Mars) staged a “production mistake” in France: Snickers wrappers hid Bounty bars instead of actual Snickers.
• Consumers posted online about the mix-up, thinking it was accidental, dubbing it “Snickersgate.”
• 24 hours later, Snickers revealed the ruse in a video as a play on their famous slogan:
  • “The DJ is not himself when he's hungry. When he finishes eating his Snickers, we will be back...” – Terry O’Reilly [17:41]
• Metrics: 18 million impressions, 275,000 engagements (triple the norm), 98% positive sentiment, and wide press coverage.
• Key Takeaway: Orchestrated “mistakes” can supercharge audience engagement and reinforce brand messaging.

3. Activist Fakevertising: McDonald’s Representation Hack

[21:37]

• Two Asian-American friends (Jev Maravilla and Christian Toledo) noticed a lack of Asian representation in McDonald’s restaurant décor.
• They created and hung a fake poster (matching style perfectly) featuring themselves. It remained undetected for two months.
• Tweeting the prank went viral: 1 million likes, 600,000 retweets.
• McDonald’s response: Celebrated the initiative, turned it into a campaign, and awarded each participant $25,000.
• The gesture highlighted legitimate social issues through a humorous, positive lens.
• Speaker:
  • “The poster was fake, but the issue wasn’t.” – Terry O’Reilly [24:21]

4. Influencer Gullibility: The Payless “Paylessi” Experiment

[26:44]

• Payless, struggling with perceptions of being unfashionable, set up a fake luxury boutique (“Paylessi”) in a former Armani store.
  • Created fake branding, fake Italian designer backstory (“Bruno Paylessi”), and luxury atmosphere.
  • Invited over 60 fashion influencers, marked up shoes from $19.99 to $200–$600+.
• The influencers gushed about the “luxury Italian design,” many buying the shoes at steep prices.
• Post-purchase, influencers were told they were Payless shoes, refunded, and allowed to keep them.
• Footage from the prank became powerful holiday commercials.
• Memorable Excerpt:
  • “I would pay 400, 500.” – Influencer [29:56]
  • “These are actually from Payless.” – Staff revealing the prank [30:24]
• Insight:
  • “Most people can’t [tell real luxury]. ...We judge value by association.” – Terry O’Reilly [31:20]
  • Perception, not just product, defines luxury.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Terry O’Reilly:
  • “If attention is the oxygen of marketing, fakery can definitely be the lungs.” [07:58]
  • “The poster was fake, but the issue wasn’t.” [24:21]
  • “Most people can’t. Real luxury, upscale items are far more about perceived value than actual value.” [31:19]
• Fashion Influencers at “Palesi” Store:
  • “Shut up. Are you serious?” (On discovering the ruse) [30:26]
• On SnickersGate:
  • “Whoah, I just had a Snickers and ended up with a Bounty. What the f is this?” (Consumer, via social media) [18:54]

Episode Structure & Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment / Highlight | |----------------|----------------------------------------------------| | 04:47-08:39 | Obvious Plant: Absurd Fake Products | | 08:51-12:39 | Maybelline’s Fake Mascara Stunt, Fevicol Free Store| | 15:56-21:37 | SnickersGate: The Viral Fake Mistake | | 21:37-24:40 | McDonald’s: Representation & the Fake Poster | | 26:44-31:19 | Payless/Paylessi: Fashion Influencers Fooled | | 31:19-end | Takeaways & Reflection on Fakevertising’s Role |

Conclusion & Key Takeaways

• Fakevertising leverages intentional deception not to cheat but to entertain, provoke thought, or challenge perceptions.
• These stunts, whether by comedians, corporations, or activists, can:
  • Deliver viral attention and sales.
  • Demonstrate product benefits (Fevicol).
  • Expose gaps in representation (McDonald’s).
  • Challenge notions of value and authenticity, especially in fashion (Paylessi).
• Reflection:
  • “Marketers are using fake ideas not to cheat you, but to generate press by making you smile or to make a point.” – Terry O’Reilly [31:31]
  • “It’s becoming a whole new ad world... proving you can fake it and make it, when you’re under the influence.” [34:24]

Summary

“Fakevertising” is not just about trickery—it’s a testament to creativity and the power of well-executed illusions in modern marketing. By orchestrating playful fakes, brands and individuals can challenge societal assumptions, command attention, and drive home real messages.