LG elevator prank uses screens to make riders think floor is giving way

Effective advertising triggers an emotional response. It's what makes it difficult to walk through Ikea without wanting to rescue a sad lamp (even though the sad lamp in question was actually replaced by an Ikea model).

And while advertisers are likely to want to trigger positive associations with their product, sometimes it's just as effective to scare the living bejesus out of people.

At least that's what LG appears to be doing in their Halloween-timed viral marketing ploy.

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As Mashable notes, the electronics company devised a clever way to show off the life-like clarity of its IPS monitors.

They had two suspiciously attractive technicians outfit the floor of an elevator with a grid of its screens. When suspiciously attractive passengers began their ascent, the screens were programmed to create the illusion of the floor giving out.

Their terrified reactions were filmed and presented for our entertainment, accompanied by the tagline "So Real, It's Scary."

Of course, many commenters are calling bunk, pointing out a series of technical glitches and claiming the prank victims were far too composed in the face of impending doom.

And as the Huffington Post reports, it wouldn't be the first time LG has used central casting to create a viral ad campaign.

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But if the purpose is to draw awareness to their brand, the video's 600,000-plus hits (and counting) in just a few days means we're willing to suspend all disbelief to be amused.