Have you ever waved back at someone, only to realize he was actually greeting the person behind you instead? If so, this is a video you'll relate to.
In a lightly branded short video, designer Cynthia Rowley teamed up with actress Hailey Gates to prank a few of her famous friends, including Bravo host Andy Cohen and a handful of fashion bloggers. Rowley and Gates repeatedly open their arms in the street to embrace a confused and sometimes delighted passerby — only to step around them and hug one another instead.
See also: Fashionistas Go Bananas for Designers Who Don't Even Exist
But it's Mayor Bloomberg who has the last laugh in their little scheme.
"Everyone's had an embarrassing moment on the street so it's totally relatable," Rowley said of the video's inspiration. "Plus, I've always liked a good practical joke — this is just one of the hundreds we came up with."
To promote the video, Rowley and her team are releasing photos and clips via Instagram, both on the designer's own accounts and on those of various participants. Behind-the-scenes footage is also planned for later release.
As we've noted previously, humorous videos tend to resonate the best with web audiences, though most fashion brands — particularly luxury ones — opt for dead-serious (and often dead-boring) short films instead. Rowley said that bringing a "fun element" to the video was essential, both to express the brand and to entertain its followers.
Rowley added that her company started experimenting with video when Taxi TV was first introduced in New York cabs several years ago.
"Since then, I thought we could change the medium by creating funny little featurettes that you wouldn't want to turn off," she said. "Who knows? Maybe we'll string them all together for a montage someday."
Image: Cynthia Rowley