Take This Lollipop, a seemingly innocuous website, is offering a customized horror movie that stars you and your friends.
A creepy man in a dimly lit room stares at his computer screen while stalking your Facebook page. He sees your profile picture, clicks through some of your more embarrassing moments, documented only for your friends. All the while, ominous music plays in the background. Your only misstep? Allowing a page with a giant blue lollipop to access your Facebook information.
“Sharing stuff on Facebook is scary. You could be tracked down and hacked to death by a maniac!” said Tim Nudd at Adweekafter watching the video.
His comment might be in jest, but as a dirty-fingered, crazy-eyed man looks at your personal information, every Facebook privacy fear you might have had is brought to life.
Jason Zada, who created TakeThisLollipop.com, is the same person behind "Elf Yourself" a viral marketing campaign with over 164 million views that was created for Office Max.
"I wanted to do something that messed with people, and I wrote the script. Instantly, I knew there was something special about the idea," he said to Adage.com.
Zada explains that while there is no formula for a video going viral, TakeThisLollipop.com's success is in part due to the fact that you cannot share the piece with other, and you can't put your friends in it. It's a singular viewing experience.
However, this video of someone watching TakeThisLollipop.com has also gone viral, with 8,563 views.
“We’re not doing anything crazy with the info,” said Zada to The New York Times. "It just makes you feel that way."
If you want to see the movie, but not share your personal information, Facebook user Snow Ball, has posted his personal movie for everyone to enjoy:
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