How the Creepy Genius of ‘Devil Baby’ Went Viral
Just two days after hitting the Internet in January, the bizarre prank video “Devil Baby Attacks” amassed 25 million YouTube views. And for good reason: In the clip, we see a crew of guys build a remote-controlled stroller complete with an animatronic demon child and then watch as they set it loose – in all its roaring, projectile-vomiting glory – in the streets of New York.
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The video – which turns out to be an ad for the new horror movie Devil’s Due – is the work of Thinkmodo, a two-man studio owned and operated by James Percelay and Michael Krivicka. “Our videos don’t look, don’t sound, don’t feel like ads,” says Krivicka. Thinkmodo’s previous successes include “Carrie,” in which a telekinetic woman terrorizes a New York coffee shop, and “Astor Place Cube,” which attempted to trick viewers into believing a man lived in a piece of street sculpture.
Of course, Thinkmodo often runs the risk of creating a campaign that’s more compelling than its product. But Krivicka insists sneakiness is part of the strategy. “There’s nothing that’s deceptive in any way,” he says. “It’s energy-filled, extremely entertaining content – and, near the end, we say, ‘Hey, by the way, check out this movie.'”