The Elevator Ghost Hoax

A viral video making the rounds since March appears to be a snippet from a security cam tape showing the ghost of an old woman haunting a well-known office building in Singapore. As the video unfolds, two workers enter the elevator, ride down a few floors, then exit, revealing a ghostly, stooped figure who slowly shuffles off after them.

The effect is creepy, but it isn't real. The video is a promotional gimmick dreamed up by ad agency McCann Worldgroup for the GMP Group, a job recruitment and human resources consultancy based in Singapore. The ruse was revealed in a statement by Josh Goh, GMP's Manager of Corporate Services: "We created the online hoax now known as the 'Raffles Place ghost.' We want to highlight the dangers of working late. Stress, fatigue, ill health are just a few. And, if you're really, really unlucky, you might see a ghost. Just kidding."

According to a representative of McCann Worldgroup Singapore, who characterized the campaign as "a defining piece of Singapore advertising," the video cost a total of $100,000 to shoot.

Read more about it:
• Elevator Ghost: Is the YouTube Clip a Hoax? - MyFox News
• Elevator Ghost: The Video that Terrified 1.3 Billion People - Huffington Post
• $100K Spent on Raffles Place Hoax - Marketing-Interactive.com