The ad agency Rob Bliss Creative teamed up with Amtrak to create a holiday treat for passengers traveling over Christmas time.
They staged a “magical piano” that would play seemingly unattended to complement its surroundings, often surprising people nearby with its antics.
The magic piano caught some unawares, blasting music at them as they approached.
For others, it would mimic their demeanor—by trilling out a sample of Ronda alla Turca as several people ran past to catch their train, for example.
But it was the one-on-one moments with station-goers that made the video go viral.
In the beginning of the video, we see a young girl approach the piano at her mum’s suggestion to play a shy but sweet version of “Chopsticks.” A few seconds in and the magic piano joins in to form a duet!
A guy carrying a case approaches the piano as it’s playing away to itself. He puts the case down on the piano stool and pulls out a trumpet to jam along with the piano.
At 3:03, a young woman with a suitcase is sitting at the instrument, playing a tune. You see the high notes of the piano playing themselves, adding in another layer to it!
Later on, a businessman takes a phone call near the piano and gets more and more annoyed as he is interrupted by loud bursts of music every time he speaks. Eventually, he turns and yells at the piano! As he walks away, the piano lets out a mocking goodbye.
At over 10 million views, this seemingly candid video was heartwarming to many, spreading moments of creativity, joy and spontaneity around the holidays.
But not everybody was convinced it was real.
While there were several comments on the video um-ing and ah-ing about whether or not it was real, the first on the case was, of course, the world of Reddit. In a highly discussed thread, people went back and forth examining the details of the video and arguing that it seemed staged. The angry guy on the phone, the man who starts jamming out and the guy playing an impromptu version of “Danny Boy” on a harmonica were all cited as examples.
“I’m going to assume it’s just me, but aside from the little girl, this seemed staged—as in the man yelling and the rotund fellow dancing are actors.
Anyone get the same feeling?”
It didn’t take long (less than half an hour) before suspicions were confirmed, and somebody tracked down a casting call for actors they’d seen for a scenario that seemed suspiciously similar to what happened in the video! In the casting call, Amtrak describes a “magical piano around Christmas-time that seems to be truly alive,” and even mentions details like “Someone plays ‘Chopsticks’ on the piano and we turn it into a duet,” which is exactly what the young girl does in the beginning.
Does the little girl seem adequately surprised when the piano joins in with her?
That solidified it for the users of Reddit, who considered it officially a fake.
Rob Bliss, whose agency put together the performance, admitted he put out a casting call but insisted the video was still real. “We simply told people the idea of what was happening and invited them to come check out if they wanted to,” he said. Even so, the video definitely struck a chord online!
What do you think—fake video with actors or genuine impromptu performances? Check out the video below to see for yourself:
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