In this union commercial from AFSCME, yes - this is a real union - which shot a PSA back in the 70s by the look of the clothes and hairstyles. The voiceover talent decided to do a second take (can you imagine this happening today, given the legal clearances and potential for lawsuits?).

It’s been up on Youtube for over a year, so either the union is unaware or not into this whole ‘innernets’ phenomenon, thus it’s perfect ‘wrongtail.’

Unreplicable for current brands - who would sue - for any spoofing of their intellectual property, but a perfect idea for more niche, risk-taking brands - create a PSA that mocks your own brand, giving it street cred. Think Woody Allen’s “What’s Up Tiger Lily?” or a “Mystery Science Theater 3000.”

Air the mock ad/psa and put allow users to create their own script. Think “Flight of the Concords” karaoke-style music video - i.e., redone audio with outside singers, using their songs - with strong commercial intent.

Not sure that that premise will catch on and become viral commercial gold, but with the power of mashup as a go-forward for most creative artists, directors and even prosumers, the sky’s the limit. Also think Grand Theft Auto IV’s fake radio commercials, “30 Rock”s “MILF Island”:

Even Miller Beer did the “1 Second Ad” spoof, based on a 30-second Superbowl ad costing $3M, and there are other examples, but what really works in a one-hit-wonder way is the dated, “old school” union feel or voice of the short.

Overall, this is one wrongtail video that we wish would get done more often by creative brand companies … or their hardcore fan bases.