History Main / CommercialSwitcheroo

** GEICO has a series of ads where someone sees a GEICO ad and says, "Huh, 15 minutes can save you 15% or more on car insurance." The second person replies, "Everybody knows that." The first guy then says, "Well did you know [insert rhetorical fact here]?" Then we have a cutaway to the scene being acted out.
*** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydR4hPmzG2w Did you know certain cartoon characters should never have an energy drink?]]" Cuts to the Tasmanian Devil, who is on a soundstage. He drinks a can of some energy drink, then goes into his tornado-damage-strength whirling dervish, just as the GEICO logo is shown. We cut to an entirely different commercial of a room showing various plates: the 50 state bird hand-painted china collection, which is then given the "bull in a china shop" treatment by Taz as he spins through, smashing the wall with the other commercial and trashes everything.
** The GEICO Sequels campaign. One ad starts with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zto6FJRD56Q a man shilling his lumber company,]] while another has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFXF2blDxvk a couple wake up and drink coffee while a soothing song plays]] in an obvious parody of Folger's commercials. Both are interrupted by the woodchucks chucking wood, a reference to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LT1tlOcLVHI the older GEICO spot playing on the old tongue twister]]. (However, both commercials open with text saying "A GEICO Sequels Presentation" which makes it easier to see the twists coming.)
** But GEICO has done a series of actual played-straight Commercial Switcheroos [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2Ay_HKQrBw that also plug Helzberg Diamonds]].

** Isabelle's reveal trailer starts off with her organizing her office, making viewers think it's a trailer for a new ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'' game for the Nintendo Switch -- only for her to get a letter saying that they want her for ''Smash''. And just in case the viewer had already guessed that it was a secret ''Smash'' trailer and assumed there'd be nothing more, it cuts to Tom Nook watching the reveal himself and telling the audience that he's got to get the town prepared for their eventual return. [[DoubleSubversion Cue a title card]] revealing a [[VideoGame/AnimalCrossingNewHorizons new Animal Crossing game for the Nintendo Switch.]]
** At The Game Awards 2018, a trailer for something related to ''VideoGame/Persona5'' interrupted the host. The trailer features the main character Joker, sneaking around a red void while other characters from the game question why he went all the way to the Game Awards, wondering what was worth stealing. Cue Joker grabbing an envelope... and quickly turning it around to reveal a wax seal with the ''Smash'' logo. Particularly notable in this case, as the trailer gave no indication it was even related to Nintendo, let alone ''Smash''. Prior to this, the show played commercials for ''Ultimate'' that start out by resembling gameplay from ''Splatoon'', ''Franchise/StreetFighter'', and ''Animal Crossing'' until Mario shows up.
** The very first thing shown off at Nintendo's February 2021 Direct was what looked like, in every way, a new story expansion for ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2''. Using the game's graphics engine, it has Rex tell of how his trusted companion Pyra went missing one day, and worries about her whereabouts, complete with him asking all their friends about her disappearance. He vows to find her... and does so on a foggy Battlefield. Turns out she got an invition to join ''Smash'' and wasn't sure how to break the news, since he thought he was going to be their game's representative.

** After the reveal trailer for ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl Brawl]]'', a seemingly unrelated codec call relating to ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' plays...only for the Colonel to ask Snake if he's familiar with the game.
** The reveal trailer for [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU the fourth game]] starts off seeming like a trailer for a new ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'' game...until the Villager excitedly runs off and throws the letter on the ground, showing that the seal on the letter is the Smash logo. Granted, this one was given away by the fact that the trailer also started by transitioning ''from'' the Smash logo in the first place, so nobody was really fooled here.
** The reveal trailer for a stage based on ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker'' starts off seeming like a gameplay of that game, but then Mario [[SlideAttack slide kicks]] Luigi. The commentary text [[LampshadeHanging even displays "!?"]]
** The reveal trailer for the final DLC character of the fourth game starts off showing Pit beating Bowser and Samus in a battle and then Palutena warning him a new challenger approaches, making viewers think that the final DLC would be another ''VideoGame/KidIcarus'' character...then VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}} interrupts him.
** The teaser trailer for ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate Ultimate]]'' starts off as a replica of the ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon|1}}'' reveal trailer, at the end of a Nintendo Direct that had just showed off a good amount of upcoming ''VideoGame/Splatoon2'' content. Then everything goes dark, and a familiar logo can be seen reflecting in the female Inkling's eye...
** Isabelle's reveal trailer starts off with her organizing her office, making viewers think it's an ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'' trailer - only for her to get a letter saying that they want her for ''Smash''. And just in case the viewer guessed that it was a secret ''Smash'' trailer, it cuts to Tom Nook telling the audience that he's sure that his friends will be exhausted from all the fighting when they come back, and that he's got to get the town prepared for their return. [[DoubleSubversion Cue a title card]] revealing a [[VideoGame/AnimalCrossingNewHorizons new Animal Crossing game for the Switch.]]
** At The Game Awards 2018, a trailer for something related to ''VideoGame/Persona5'' interrupted the host. The trailer proceeded, with characters wondering why Joker showed up at the awards. Cue an envelope appearing, quickly being turned around to reveal a wax seal with the ''Smash'' logo. Particularly notable in this case, as the trailer gave no indication it was even related to Nintendo, let alone ''Smash''. Prior to this, the show played commercials for ''Ultimate'' that start out by resembling gameplay from ''Splatoon'', ''Franchise/StreetFighter'', and ''Animal Crossing'' until Mario shows up.
** The very first thing shown off at Nintendo's 2/17/2021 Direct was what looked like, in every way, a new story expansion for ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2''. Using the game's graphics engine, it has Rex tell of how his trusted companion Pyra went missing one day, and worries that she's gone or something worse has happened, complete with him asking all the other party members on her disappearance. He vows to find her... and does immediately. She was missing because she was invited to ''Smash''!

* WebAnimation/TheGmodIdiotBox: One stinger of an ''Everybody Loves Francis'' sketch starts with what appears to be a re-enactment of a ''Trix'' cereal advert, but then gets ''subverted'' when the rabbit pulls out a machine gun that shoots [[Film/TheRoom exploding Johnny heads]], screams in {{Angrish}}, and kills the kids. And it turns out that this is an ad for a ''[[Creator/TommyWiseau Tommy]] [[{{pun}} Gun]]''.

** At The Game Awards 2018, a trailer for something related to ''VideoGame/Persona5'' interrupted the host. The trailer proceeded, with characters wondering why Joker showed up at the awards. Cue an envelope appearing, quickly being turned around to reveal the ''Smash'' logo. Particularly notable in this case, as the trailer gave no indication it was even related to Nintendo, let alone ''Smash''. Prior to this, the show played commercials for ''Ultimate'' that start out by resembling gameplay from ''Splatoon'', ''Franchise/StreetFighter'', and ''Animal Crossing'' until Mario shows up.

-->--[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sM60ISd2_7U Teaser for]] ''Film/AustinPowers: The Spy Who Shagged Me''

* WNET, the Creator/{{PBS}} member station for New York City, has an internet and subway ad campaign featuring various fake reality show trailers, ending with the tag “The fact you thought this was a real show says a lot about the state of TV. Support quality programming.” (Public television stations in the US are mostly funded by donations from corporations and the general public.)

* The teaser for ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobSquarePantsMovie'' began with live-action footage implying it was a live-action movie set in a submarine, but then it cuts to [=SpongeBob=] in a bathtub.

--> [[IncrediblyLamePun Tommy Gun: It will tear you apart!]] (*angrish scream*)

* In early 1994, Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} released a commercial promoting the "Monsoon Man" arc of their ''Series/TheTomorrowPeople|1973'' revival by having it interrupt another commercial for ''Series/NickelodeonGuts''.

* In early 1994, Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} released a commercial promoting the "Monsoon Man" arc of their ''Series/TheTomorrowPeople|1973'' revival by having it interrupt another commercial for ''Series/{{Guts}}''.

->''If you see one movie this summer, see ''[[Film/ThePhantomMenace Star Wars]].'' But if you see two movies, see ''Film/AustinPowers!''''
-->--[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sM60ISd2_7U Teaser for]] '''Austin Powers 2'''

** Isabelle's reveal trailer starts off with her organizing her office, making viewers think it's an ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'' trailer - only for her to get a letter saying that they want her for ''Smash''. And just in case the viewer guessed that it was a secret ''Smash'' trailer, it cuts to Tom Nook telling the audience that he's sure that his friends will be exhausted from all the fighting when they come back, and that he's got to get the town prepared for their return. [[DoubleSubversion Cue a title card revealing a new Animal Crossing game for the Switch.]]

* Popularized if not invented by the Advertising/EnergizerBunny commercials. A battery powered toy rabbit, initially created for a straight commercial, wanders off the set, due to the unstoppable powers of the Energizer battery. The rabbit wanders through other advertisements, interrupting them as the Energizer voice-over guy announces "It keeps going, and going, and going..."
** Created for a straight commercial ''by a competitor'', no less! Duracell ran a series of commercials in TheEighties in which the Duracell-powered bunny (or other toy or electronic device) was the last man standing out of ten or so[[note]]occasionally only six[[/note]] such toys. Energizer's version was a TakeThat that ''really'' [[ParodyDisplacement caught on]] – so much so that the Duracell bunnies are no longer seen in North America.

* A PSA campaign about dating scams by the National Crime Prevention Council of Singapore first seems like an ad for a dating website called Talk Love. The 30-second version of the ad simply ends with a link to the website, which redirects to a page that explains such scams. The full version shows a girl named Ella matching up with a guy named Brandon via said website. Brandon then asks for increasing amounts of money, supposedly to pay off his grandmother's hospital bills. Eventually, Ella calls Brandon's number only to find that the number was deactivated -- and all appearances of "Brandon" in the scenes beforehand were just cardboard cutouts.

* The first trailer for ''WesternAnimaton/RonsGoneWrong'' started out with an animated B-Bot ad that looked so realistic that audiences who first saw the trailer thought that it was an unskippable ad.

* The first trailer for the animated film ''Ron's Gone Wrong'' started out with an animated B-Bot ad that looked so realistic that audiences who first saw the trailer thought that it was an unskippable ad.

* Used with a ''real product'' in one commercial for car manufacturer Subaru, where [[https://youtu.be/K2_xYrBiURk actual footage from an ad for Snuggies]] (overpriced coat-shaped blankets) was cut off by a guy with an axe [[BreakingTheFourthWall chopping through the TV screen]] and revealing an SUV... The kicker is that the actual Snuggie commercial played around the same time.

* The first teaser for ''Film/TheMuppets'' started out as [[https://youtu.be/6CloKbXtD28 an ad for a romantic comedy]], until the time came for the announcer to read a list of cast members, and the inclusion of Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy elicited surprise in the announcer and the male lead. Thus began a campaign of several teasers of this type leading up to the movie.

** A spoof of the TwoChicksInAKitchen trope has a housewife struggling to get her kitchen clean, when another woman comes in with a new floor varnish which she sprinkles all over the place, then taunts the housewife about the mess she's made. So the housewife produces a submachine gun and shoots her.

* [[https://youtu.be/9JJQfa2yPrQ This advert]] starts off like an ad for a state-of-the-art sports car. That is until the price is revealed at just £39,99. Turns out it's an advert for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation game [[VideoGame/RidgeRacer Ridge Racer Type 4]].
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izYSfiq0bHM What starts off]] as an ad that appears to be promoting Snuggle laundry detergent ultimately follows up with the bear being chased by a tank to promote VideoGame/BattleTanx.