Back in the old days, before cell phones existed, it was a common event for someone to lose or misplace his or her wallet. Nowadays, you’re more likely to hear a story about a friend losing their cell phone than a wallet. So if you see a cell phone on the ground, are you more likely to ignore it and keep walking -- or pick it up and turn it in?
This good deed was tested to an extreme degree in Shanghai this summer, when Time Out Shanghai purposely “lost” its cell phone and rewarded the person who found it with an epic night throughout the town.
Energy BBDO Shanghai came up with the “Stolen Phone Tour” to showcase just how much the publication knows about Shanghai, especially the hidden gems that wouldn’t necessarily be highlighted in rival publications.
“Stolen Phone Tour” begins with a hidden camera focused intently on a dropped cell phone. It’s a rainy day and the majority of passersby saw the phone but continued walking.
Someone finally took the bait and picked up the phone, which began sending text messages asking the finder if they are trying to steal the phone.
The phone then directed the two friends playing with the lost phone to return the phone by hopping in a London cab waiting outside for them.
Throughout the day, the pair was taxied to five different places covered in Time Out Shanghai -- from a store that screens vintage films in its backroom, a secret restaurant, jazz bar and exclusive, trendy nightclub. Instructions came via text message, and hidden cameras at each stop captured the fun. Watch it unfold here.
I was raised to expect a big reward then to cash in on a small find, and hope that others would act the same for my lost items too...