Okay, we admit it, our headline's pretty clickbaity. But on this occasion it's for a good reason. That's because we don't want to ruin the surprise of which brand is behind this overdramatic ad that's been doing the rounds on social media recently.
Once you've watched it you'll be grateful that we didn't spoil it for you. We've watched it in the office without knowing where it goes, and we were all guffawing like idiots by the time it finished.
So without further ado, check out this cinematic ad that looks like a remake of Boyhood. We've chosen to share it via this tweet from video director Ryan Simmons to stop the video's title on Vimeo from ruining the surprise. And trust us, you really won't see the ending coming...
Finished it yet?
Yep, we were cracking up too. Why on earth Subway decided it was a good idea to shoot a miniature film following the various poignant moments of a boy's life before taking a hard swerve to promote its sandwiches is beyond us.
Now don't get us wrong. Subway is a fine sandwich company. And the ad is brilliantly shot. We also get that the best television and print ads need to find innovative ways to grab their audience's attention. But this commercial is so earnest that you can't help but laugh when the other shoe drops.
What's more, this isn't a new ad. It was originally created by Brazilian production company Stink way back in 2016. But once Simmons discovered and shared it on Twitter, social media had a field day tearing it apart.
If this ad teaches us anything, it's that you should be more elegant and subtle when trying to weave your product into a narrative, especially if it's a really sincere one.
Although, this ad has got us talking about Subway, so perhaps it does its job well after all? You win again, capitalism!
And if you want to watch the ad in all its cinematic glory (Simmons cut a flash of nipple from the video in his tweet), check it out below.
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