Line #43 Main/TrailerSpoof


1	->''"Wait, wait, wait, stop! Is this another Muppet trailer parody? Why don't we just show a real trailer? I mean, what are we hiding? Did we make the movie in Swedish or something?"''
2	-->-- '''Jason Segel''', ''Film/TheMuppets2011'' (Trailer)
3
4	So you're in the movie theatre, the house lights are coming down, and the screen lights up with the previews of coming attractions. After the standard green MPAA Trailer Approved To Accompany This Feature slate, the screen shows a dark city full of foreboding, while the announcer intones about heady topics like crime running rampant or a city [[HoldingOutForAHero crying out for help]]. On a rooftop, a shadowy figure emerges. It could only be a certain [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Dark Knight]]... and then the figure is revealed to be... Franchise/ScoobyDoo?
5
6	Congratulations. You've just been had by a Trailer Spoof.
7
8	A Trailer Spoof is when a trailer will [[BaitAndSwitch try to hook your attention]] by pretending to be a trailer for a well known movie franchise, or a highly-anticipated blockbuster film. Then anywhere from half-way to three quarters through comes TheReveal: it's actually a trailer for a perhaps not-so-anticipated comedy movie. (It's almost always some form of comedy; dramas and straight action/adventure films take themselves too seriously to try this sort of thing.)
9
10	Virtually all Trailer Spoofs are teaser trailers, whose purpose is to "build awareness" for the film, although it's still a long way off from release. Expect actual footage from the real film to be limited to 30 seconds or less, since usually teaser trailers are made when the film is still being worked on. If they had more footage to show, the studio would likely not bother with a spoof, and just release a trailer cut from the footage instead.
11
12	Compare RealTrailerFakeMovie, which is when the trick to the trailer is that it's for a movie that doesn't exist. [[{{Defictionalization}} Yet.]]
13
14	----
15	!!Examples
16
17	[[foldercontrol]]
18	[[folder:Film -- Animated]]
19	* Several trailers for ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsonsMovie'' did this.
20	** An early trailer pretended to be for ''Film/SupermanReturns'', but it was just Homer wearing a ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' shirt.
21	** A later ''Simpsons'' trailer used the ''[[Film/SpiderManTrilogy Spider-Man]]'' UsefulNotes/{{font\|s}} before revealing... Spider-Pig.
22	** Yet another spoofed the first teaser for ''Film/TheDaVinciCode'', with Homer's face in place of the Mona Lisa.
23	** One trailer does it a bit differently by not being based on any particular movie:
24	--->''(Fully CGI sequence of a bunny [[SickeninglySweet dancing with flowers to the]] "[[PublicDomainSoundtrack Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy]]".)''\
25	'''Narrator:''' [[InAWorld In a time when computer animation brings us worlds of unsurpassed beauty]], one film dares to be ugly.\
26	''(Moe abruptly comes down in the movie's logo, knocking out the bunny.)''\
27	'''Moe:''' ''The Simpsons Movie''... [[MundaneMadeAwesome in 2D!]] (''looks down'') [[OhCrap Uh... The bunny's not breathing]].
28	* The trailer for ''WesternAnimation/ChickenLittle'' opened with the exact same sequence used in the teaser trailer for ''Film/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy2005'', another Disney production.
29	-->[[strike:Don't]] Panic!
30	* The trailer for ''WesternAnimation/AquaTeenHungerForceColonMovieFilmForTheaters'' went so far to identify itself as ''Film/SpiderMan2'' in the text crawl while the narrator reads the correct name.
31	* Nearly every trailer for the first ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitch'' appeared to be a trailer for some other Disney movie at first, only to be interrupted by Stitch, partly to make it clear it was a lighter, wackier film than the company's usual output. Which was [[NeverTrustATrailer kind of misleading, really]]; [[TearJerker/LiloAndStitch this movie has some pretty heart-rending moments]].
32	* One trailer appeared to be for the next ''Film/JamesBond'' movie, showing 007 onscreen. Then it turned upside down and pulled back, revealing ''Film/LooneyTunesBackInAction''.
33	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAbsyxYZV9U This trailer]] for ''WesternAnimation/TheRugratsMovie'', which appeared to be for a horror movie along the lines of ''Film/{{Gremlins}}'' or ''Film/{{Poltergeist\|1982}}''.
34	* ''WesternAnimation/WinnieThePooh2011'' came out the same weekend as ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'', and thus some Pooh ads started out with lightning text on a cloudy sky (like the Harry Potter movies) with taglines such as "Get ready for the final battle" and "How do you spell adventure?"... with cuts to Pooh running from bees and inverting a set of blocks from "[[TakeThat POTR]]" to "POOH". Once the film's logo appears, there's a clip of Pooh saying, "Were you expecting someone else?" (a nod to the teaser for ''Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me'', which famously tricked audiences into thinking they were watching a trailer for the highly-anticipated ''Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace''). However, in some cases, they have already shown the Walt Disney logo, which somewhat ruins the effect.
35	* A trailer for ''WesternAnimation/SouthParkBiggerLongerAndUncut'' opened with what appeared to be [[Creator/WaltDisney a man]] drawing on his desk.
36	-->'''Narrator:''' Once upon a time, a man drew [[WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse a little mouse]] and his animated vision enchanted children of all ages. This summer, that man will be ''spinning in his grave''.
37	** Also, the teaser appeared to be advertising a film that would revolutionize animation and special effects, with a computer drawing an elaborate wireframe figure. That figure turned out to be Cartman.
38	* The trailer for ''WesternAnimation/MonstersUniversity'' is the kind of Trailer Spoof that doesn't hide the movie, but parodies commercials for real colleges.
39	* The trailer for the 2002 film adaptation of ''WesternAnimation/TeachersPet'' appears to start as another trailer for Disney's classic ''WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}}'', not minding the fact that it is animated in the former's style, until it is revealed that the figure the Blue Fairy has just transformed is Spot.
40	* In a teaser trailer for ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobSquarePantsMovie'', it shows the Paramount logo (which the Nickelodeon movie was distributed by), then cuts to several live-action men in a submarine, using footage from ''Film/TheHuntForRedOctober'' - making the movie look like a sea epic. But then we hear the trademark laugh, and see the silhouette on a radar-tracker... and it turns out that the "submarine" is a toy that [=SpongeBob=] is playing with in the bathtub.
41	** Another trailer included a documentary-style opening with the narrator asking the audience "Where did we come from?" and "Is there life after death?" He concludes by asking "the ultimate question", which turns out to be [[WaxingLyrical "Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?"]], as we see [=SpongeBob=]'s pineapple, with his signature laugh playing after a few seconds.
42	* The teaser for 2015's ''WesternAnimation/ThePeanutsMovie'' starts like the opening of ''Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey'', but it turns out the "planet" is Charlie Brown's bald head.
43	* One trailer for ''WesternAnimation/ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnythingAVeggieTalesMovie'' appeared to spoof ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'', but then Eloise says "The heroes! They're here!" as we cut to clips from the movie.
44	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm30qN3uZ5U The first trailer]] for ''Franchise/CareBears: Oopsy Does It!'' built the film up to look like an action film, complete with an epic voice over and text, before being revealed to be what it truly is.
45	* A TV spot for ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda4'' starts out shot like ''Film/DunePartTwo'', until a figure, standing on the dunes of Arrakis, who at first appears to be Paul Atreides and or a Fremen, is given more clarity, and is revealed in actuality to be Po; Who then pulls out a bowl full of dumplings and some chopsticks, says they have ''just the right amount of spice'', and begins to chow down on them.
46	** Shortly after that, a spoof poster for ''WesternAnimation/TheGarfieldMovie'' came out, doing the same sort of thing, showing [[Franchise/{{Garfield}} Garfield]] buried in the sand with the title for the movie in the same text font style as Dune. See it [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GHa8_9aXkAAb405.jpg:large here]]:
47	[[/folder]]
48
49	[[folder:Film -- Live Action]]
50	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z0uAyezY2A A trailer for]] ''Film/ScoobyDoo'' pretended to be for a ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' movie -- until the silhouette that looked like Batman turned out to be Scooby. Supposedly, a lot of ''Batman'' fans were pissed.
51	-->'''Narrator:''' Throughout the ages, there has been one hero standing watch over us all. One hero protecting mankind whenever he’s needed. He moves in shadows, cloaked in mystery. And now in the summer of 2002, he will be called upon yet again to save the world.
52	-->'''Scooby:''' Who, re? Ruh-uh!
53	* A [[https://youtu.be/Ozz8uxW733Q?feature=shared teaser trailer]] initially starts off with a bank robbery out of a typical action movie, with the crooks making their getaway on a helicopter before it suddenly stops, and starts being pulled back by something, revealed to be a giant web between the Twin Towers. At this point, it zooms out again to reveal ''[[Film/SpiderMan1 Spider-Man]]'' watching it all as it's reflected through his lens.
54	* Another [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ohiQ6cLRsE teaser trailer]] is built up a some kind of thriller, with Creator/ChristianBale's character narrating about something he saw after his parents' murder and traveled around the world for. Something lurking in the shadows that wants revenge... "Me." Ending with a brief flash of him [[Film/BatmanBegins as Batman]].
55	* ''Film/AustinPowers'':
56	** The second movie, ''Film/AustinPowersTheSpyWhoShaggedMe'' came out the same year as ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'' and had [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65LjJMqHkoc a trailer]] that started by going through the Death Star with VaderBreath in the background while closing in on a chair... until the ChairReveal has Dr. Evil sitting in it. After that, the trailer goes in more typical Austin Powers style, including the narrator saying "If you see only one movie this summer, see... ''[[SelfDeprecation Star Wars]]''. But if you see two movies, see ''Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me!''"
57	** A trailer for ''Film/AustinPowersInGoldmember'' began in a manner similar to the opening credits of ''Film/{{Goldfinger}}''. Which in turn led MGM to sue New Line for copyright infringement. The suit was settled and in exchange, the trailer to ''Film/DieAnotherDay'' was attached to all prints of ''Goldmember''. As for commercials, some opened with a disclaimer screen similar to those used by ''[[Series/{{Jackass}} Jackass: The Movie]]'', except reading "So for the sake of you and your dumb little clone..."
58	* One television commercial for ''Film/NottingHill'' tried the same device against ''Austin Powers'' by focusing on a wacky supporting character. It didn't quite work.
59	* The trailer for ''Film/DumbAndDumberer'' disguised itself as a trailer for ''Literature/TheHobbit'', leaving every member of the audience sorely pissed.
60	* A TV spot for ''Film/SavingSilverman'' used the same typeface as ''Film/{{Hannibal}}'''s ads to spell out "Get rid of the fava beans. Hide the Chianti. He's coming" before cutting to Jack Black's "Beer bong for the lady?".
61	* One ''Franchise/StarWars: [[Film/AttackOfTheClones Episode II]]'' commercial -- not a trailer, because trailers are SeriousBusiness to ''Star Wars'' fans, but a simple TV commercial -- seemed to start out referring to ''Film/SpiderMan1'', complete with metallic webbing and the ''Spider-Man'' font: "Swing into action with the summer's newest action hero!" It then cut to... Yoda, who cut a pose and did one of his little CoolOldGuy growls. Then he starts jumping and fighting Count Dooku...
62	* Trailers for ''Film/{{Garfield}}: The Movie'' and ''Film/StuartLittle 2'' imitated moments from the first ''Film/SpiderMan1'' movie.
63	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF6D0YNROc0 A teaser trailer]] had a dark Franchise/{{Tarzan}}-like feel... until near the end.
64	-->"Deep in the African jungle lives a mysterious figure. His name is legendary. His strength is remarkable. And his theme song... is pretty good, too." ''(cue'' [[spoiler: Film/GeorgeOfTheJungle]] ''theme)''
65	* A trailer for the [[LiveActionAdaptation live-action]] ''Film/{{Thunderbirds}}'' movie baited audiences with the idea of a ''Film/{{Hulk}} 2'' teaser by having citizens scream and shout and the sight of something big and green before cutting to a number "2" on a green background. The camera pulled back, revealing that it was the hull of Thunderbird 2.
66	* One trailer from the year 2001 made it seem like it was hyping the next Franchise/JamesBond movie, and concluding with a big title screen reading "007." But then the "007" flipped upside down, and zoomed out to reveal that the 7 was actually a "Z." And that the rest of the word spelled out "Film/{{Zoolander}}".
67	* Citizens kept yelling "It's a bird!", "It's a plane!", but Bullwinkle said it looked like a flying squirrel in the ''Franchise/{{Superman}}''-themed [[https://www.nytimes.com/video/movies/100000004131945/the-adventures-of-rocky-and-bullwinkle-trailer-1.html teaser trailer]] for ''Film/TheAdventuresOfRockyAndBullwinkle''. The trailer even concluded on the tag line "You will believe a squirrel can fly!"
68	* A teaser trailer for ''Film/AliGIndahouse'' pretended to be for the biopic [[UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli Ali]].
69	* The trailer for the German stoner comedy ''Erkan & Stefan gegen die Mächte der Finsternis'' first [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYPRMYT1zFg pretended]] to be for ''Film/TheMummyReturns'' (having a similar looking bad guy helped).
70	* One teaser for the 2009 remake of ''Film/{{Fame}}'' makes it look like a ''Film/HarryPotter'' trailer (or another movie about a wizarding school) using stock footage of a steam train and a castle at the beginning, and even using lines like "Practice your craft" and "Cast a spell" in between clips.
71	-->''Coming soon, there is another school that will teach you how to fly.''
72	* The 2011 movie ''Film/{{The Muppets\|2011}}'' went crazy with this:
73	** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CloKbXtD28 Green With Envy]]" is seemingly a cliché romantic comedy starring Jason Segel and Amy Adams. Then halfway through, both the narrator and Segel are baffled that the actual film featured in the trailer is ''The Muppets''.
74	** Two more trailers were also spoofs of the ones for ''Film/TheHangoverPartII'' & ''Film/GreenLantern2011''. After releasing a proper trailer, they [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHqLcEtt368 did it again]], this time masquerading as ''[[Literature/TheMillenniumTrilogy The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo]]''.
75	** Even a commercial for the DVD started off looking like ''Film/TheHungerGames''.
76	** Mere weeks before the film was to be released, they then went [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsPz51_M3fI recursive]] by completely inverting the "Green With Envy" trailer (complete with Jason Segel billed as [[http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/File:FinalMuppetsParodyTrailer-09.jpg "Jason the Segel"]]), before doing rapid-fire parodies of ''Film/ParanormalActivity3'', ''WesternAnimation/PussInBoots'', ''WesternAnimation/HappyFeetTwo'', and ''[[Literature/{{Twilight}} Breaking Dawn Part 1]]''.
77	* The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvFeWRpeU1Y teaser trailer]] for ''Film/MouseHunt'' starts off with a happy, Disney-like mood, but then gets weird.
78	* Virtually every genre parody movie does this by pretending to be dramatic and serious at first. For example: ''Film/ScaryMovie'' ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGTrKmkceiE]]) ''Film/EpicMovie'' ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ltiqNTYZbA]]) and ''Film/DisasterMovie'' ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tihG_2BSUqg]]).
79	* OlderThanTheyThink: From 1976, the trailer for ''Film/ThePinkPantherStrikesAgain'' was able to take advantage of this trope thanks to the story upping the stakes from previous installments. At first, the trailer appears to be for a straight action movie -- until the reveal (via trailer-specific footage) that the diabolical villain is Inspector Dreyfus, and his evil plot threatening the world is motivated solely by his desire to get rid of Inspector Clouseau once and for all.
80	* Due to it coming out around the same time as ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade'', the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukOzVWBJE6E teaser]] for ''Film/{{UHF}}'' made it look like it was for the next Indiana Jones movie before switching around to reveal the face of Music/WeirdAlYankovic.
81	* Some TV spots for ''Film/EightLeggedFreaks'' initially made it look like it was for ''Film/SpiderMan1''.
82	* The trailer for ''Film/LeatherfaceTheTexasChainsawMassacreIII'' initially made it look like it was for a movie based on the legend of King Arthur.
83	* An early trailer for ''Film/{{Underdog}}'' started out spoofing Superman, in keeping with the superhero film theme. Didn't work.
84	* A trailer for ''Film/DiaryOfAWimpyKidTheLongHaul'' started out as one for a generic Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse style superhero movie, showing Cartoon!Greg in a muscular superhero suit. The ''actual'' trailer footage was triggered by Greg's "muscles" deflating. This iteration of the trailer was also abbreviated for television.
85	* The teaser for the third ''Film/AlvinAndTheChipmunks'' film baited us with the possibility of a ''Film/{{Titanic 1997}}'' remake or sequel (or even the then-upcoming 3D rerelease), with an instrumental of "My Heart Will Go On" playing over footage of an ocean liner. Then Alvin appears over the ship's bow, claiming, "I'm king of the world!"
86	* A trailer for ''The Hustle'' imitated an ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' trailer by starting out very dark, with black-and-white footage similar to that of the ''Endgame'' flashbacks, and using the infamous dust effect.
87	%% When we have a page for The Hustle, can someone please add the link.
88	* The teaser trailer for ''Film/BirdsOfPrey2020'' was exclusively released before screenings of ''Film/ItChapterTwo'' and was made to look like the opening credits of that film, with red balloons floating in front of a shadowy figure who is then revealed to be Harley Quinn.
89	* The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugTwh8XDe24 American trailer]] for ''Film/TheReturnOfGodzilla'' (known in the US as ''Godzilla: 1985'') spends most of its time hyping up its star, a superstar performer who made his debut in [[Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters1956 1956]] and immediately wowed audiences with his revolutionary acting technique and [[{{Kaiju}} overwhelming presence]], only to retire at the height of his fame... until now, when he makes [[CareerResurrection his big comeback]], more magnificent, more glamorous, more devastating than ever. Cue the '''''[[SignatureRoar SCREEEEEEKKKKKK!!!]]'''''
90	* PlayedForHorror with the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6eB0JT1DI4 first trailer]] for ''Film/{{Brightburn}}'', whose first half is consciously meant to evoke the trailers for ''Film/ManOfSteel''. A very Music/HansZimmer-esque score plays over shots of [[EverytownAmerica rural Kansas]] while a young boy is told by his parents that, while he may feel different and alone, he was a gift who is destined to do great things. The trailer also emphasizes that producer Creator/JamesGunn was the "visionary director of ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014''". Then the second half of the trailer kicks in, the music turns a lot more ominous, and it becomes clear that the young SupermanSubstitute in the trailer is a CorruptedCharacterCopy as he starts acting like a CreepyChild and eventually killing people.
91	* Some TV spots in 2005 opened with images of [[Film/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory swirling chocolate]] or "[[Film/TheBadNewsBears Bad to the Bone]]" playing--It's a ''Film/WeddingCrashers'' ad.
92	[[/folder]]
93
94	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
95	* A commercial for the episode of ''Series/TheGoldbergs'' that aired October 21, 2015 started off spoofing ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture'', the airdate being the day that Marty went into the future in [[Film/BackToTheFuturePartII the second film]]. However, it showed the series' title in the form of a hashtag in the lower left corner, which somewhat ruined the effect.
96	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekoETowzmAo The promo for the fourth season]] of ''Series/LastWeekTonightWithJohnOliver'' had three straight BaitAndSwitch (with SelfDeprecation on how the show isn't that successful or broad appeal): the biggest HBO show on Sundays (John appears from behind [[Series/GameOfThrones the Iron Throne]]), the HBO hit comedy (John is revealed to be in [[Series/SiliconValley the Pied Piper offices]]) and the return of the HBO show everyone was waiting for ([[Series/CurbYourEnthusiasm Larry David]] is besides John - "[we've been off for] [[UnCancelled five years!]]").
97	* A [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYehEp9eaBE trailer]] for ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'' exactly duplicates Creator/{{ABC}}'s own ''Series/{{V\|2009}}''... until the spaceship shows J.D.'s face instead of Anna's. He announces ''Scrubs'' is back to general rejoicing, then adds "By the way, these people are [[ReptilianConspiracy lizards]]."
98	[[/folder]]
99
100	[[folder:Video Games]]
101	* The Platform/NintendoSwitch Presentation trailer for ''VideoGame/OneTwoSwitch'' starts off with two cowboys approaching each other and preparing to do a fast draw, which looks like something for a [[WildWest Western]] video game. It turns out to be a demonstration for the "Quick Draw" minigame.
102	* Commercials for ''VideoGame/{{Battlefield}}: [[VideoGame/BattlefieldBadCompany Bad Company]]'' spoofed ''VideoGame/RainbowSix'', ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar'', and ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' franchises. Usually they led the viewer on for a few moments before switching to the more "goofy" ''Bad Company'' style.
103	* The trailer for the Platform/PlayStation4 version of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' looks like a trailer for an entirely different game all together, just to show how well the graphics have improved. Only at the end, when you see Cloud's distinctive {{BFS}}, you'll realize this is FFVII.
104	* The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhXZZsEfRgk announcement trailer]] for the ''VideoGame/{{Gex}} Trilogy'' is intentionally designed to be an announcement trailer for a ''VideoGame/GoldenEye1997'' remaster (it was also saved for last in the Limited Run Games 2023 Showcase), with a Franchise/JamesBond silhouette to boot. Said silhouette flips to Gex {{tail slap}}ping the trailer text, with him revealing himself and pointing out if the viewers were expecting somebody else (like Bond did for [[Film/GoldenEye the film's]] trailer).
105	* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' loves doing this trope, mostly for character reveals. Fans of the source series immediately know it's ''Smash Bros.'', but it doesn't stop these from being fun:
106	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBoL1Ic9uWw The reveal trailer]] for the Wii Fit Trainer first starts as what appears to be a trailer for a new ''VideoGame/WiiFit'' game, before pulling out to reveal Mario, Link, and Kirby holding the pose shown on screen, where upon the Trainer gets their attention before attacking them.
107	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPdutb_6DZU Rosalina's trailer]] starts out with Franchise/{{Kirby}} flying in space along with ''VideoGame/KirbyAirRide'' music before coming upon Rainbow Road from ''VideoGame/MarioKart'', causing the viewer to expect an ''Air Ride'' game, then an ''Air Ride/Mario Kart'' crossover. Then something shoots off a [[VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy Launch Star]], causing Kirby to crash. Luma splits off from the something and lands. Rosalina appears shortly after, and title card ''"Rosalina and Luma Launch Into Battle!"'' appears. Funnily enough, the presenter of that particular Nintendo Direct (Creator/SatoruIwata) jokes that this ended up being a happy coincidence, as he's can use it to segue into a new trailer for an actual ''Mario Kart'' game (''VideoGame/MarioKart8'', to be precise).
108	** ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'''s [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3Gt42kVgCw initial trailer]] was a recreation of the original ''VideoGame/Splatoon1'' reveal trailer, before it suddenly goes dark. As the female Inkling stops in confusion, she looks over her shoulder and is stunned; the viewer can see the Smash logo reflected in her eye, before we see that she looking at a giant flaming Smash logo with a number of veteran characters standing in front of it.
109	** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijp5FeOE_Yw reveal trailer]] for [[Franchise/AnimalCrossing Isabelle]] was placed near the end of a Nintendo Direct, looking very much like a trailer for a new ''Animal Crossing'' game. Isabelle starts to give away the game when she mentions the mayor (Villager) being in ''Smash'', but it's still a bit before it officially confirms itself as a ''Smash'' trailer. Then trailer then becomes a DoubleSubversion, as it ends with Tom Nook in his office watching the Nintendo Direct himself, before addressing the audience and revealing an actual ''Animal Crossing'' game will be releasing next year (though [[VideoGame/AnimalCrossingNewHorizons the game in question]] would end up getting delayed a few months).
110	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyJ4djjQOr0 The reveal trailer]] for VideoGame/BanjoKazooie's inclusion in ''Ultimate'' is a parody of [[Franchise/DonkeyKong King K. Rool]]'s [[https://youtu.be/0-gfC1upmoA own reveal trailer]], complete with VideoGame/DuckHunt in [[Franchise/{{Kirby}} King Dedede]]'s role of the [[DoubleSubversion double fake-out]].
111	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdgdxaIkU5g The reveal trailer]] for Pyra and Mythra opens with Rex searching for her in what could easily be mistaken as a trailer for ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'' DLC, until he manages to find her on a foggy version of ''Smash Bros.''[='=]s Battlefield stage, where she admits she's been hiding that she had been invited to ''Smash''.
112	* The trailer for ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossingAmiiboFestival'' is perhaps an unintentional case of this. Fans saw it and believed that it was the trailer for the eagerly-awaited Wii U installment in the series, until the screen pans to reveal board game tiles. That's right, it's a PartyGame spin-off. [[BrokenBase Reaction to this was mixed.]]
113	* In the Creator/{{Ubisoft}} video conference of the 2016 [=E3=], there was [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQVPOv0IGCg a teaser]] which gives off the appearance of a Tom Clancy game, with criminal violence on the rise throughout the United States, which calls for extreme measures. "The question becomes: Who will take them?" And shortly afterwards, [[WesternAnimation/SouthPark Eric Cartman in his Coon costume]] can be seen, turning this section of the conference to ''VideoGame/SouthParkTheFracturedButWhole''.
114	* A trailer for a Nintendo Switch game starts as an intro for an anime starring a catgirl, who turns out to be Mew Mew Kissy Cutie, the star of the ShowWithinAShow in ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}''. Mew Mew herself looks a bit embarrassed once she realizes that it's really an Undertale trailer.
115	* The initial E3 reveal trailer for the upcoming ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroesIII'' started off looking like a trailer for a mecha game, one where you had to stop an extraterrestrial threat. Then the man in the armor does the famous pose from the first game and reveals himself to be Travis Touchdown.
116	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DEwgLEUFPw The Game Awards trailer]] started off seemingly to announce a cute game about a boy named Damon meeting and trying to bring back to its home planet an alien named FU. Cut to fifteen years later, where the two reunite... only for the alien and his friends to destroy the world around him, revealing "Goddamn Superhero" to the world... only for a motorcycle to be heard after the logo and the screen shattering revealing Travis again on his bike, revealing the trailer to actually be an announcement that ''No More Heroes III'' would be coming next year.
117	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDYtI7kUU4k The trailer]] for ''VideoGame/TheOuterWorlds 2'' is a rather caustic parody of the marketing for AAA video games, complete with a monster that the narrator tells us won't appear in the final product, gratuitous [[{{Overcrank}} slow-motion]] and LensFlare in the name of RuleOfCool to convince people to pre-order, the protagonist seen only from the back in silhouette because the developers haven't finished the design yet, and no actual gameplay footage or story details because they haven't finished that yet either.
118	* The first teaser trailer for ''VideoGame/PlantsVsZombiesGardenWarfare'' initially presents the game as a gritty, realistic ''Battlefield''-esque military shooter, but after the TitleDrop, it shows the game for the outlandish, cartoony shooter that it really is.
119	* The E3 2021 trailer for ''VideoGame/Bayonetta3'' had JGSDF soldiers opening fire upon some misshapen abominations, which is usually par for the course for their games, but the bait-and-switch comes into play when one of those abominations is shot at by... [[VideoGame/AstralChain Lappy]]. The creature retaliates in kind, only to be cock-blocked at the point of entry by sudden invocation of [[BulletTime Witch Time]] as Bayo herself arrives "fashionably late" by her own admission.
120	[[/folder]]
121
122	[[folder:Web Original]]
123	* The start of the trailer for ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue: Recreation'' starts off looking identical to the trailer for ''Reconstruction'', right up until Caboose causes an explosion.
124	* Fanmade trailers will often go this route.
125	** For example, Mitchell Movie Productions [[https://youtu.be/paYiF3fZbYI made a trailer]] for ''WesternAnimation/JimmyNeutronBoyGenius'' to make it look like ''Film/ManOfSteel''. They also [[https://youtu.be/fykr5hzyI4s remade]] the ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory2'' trailer with different characters.
126	** [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCswSONYFKJSuLKiAss5cn_Q Mr Bamason]] has done some excellent recuts of movie trailers InTheStyleOf other trailers. There's ''Film/KongSkullIsland'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROV2NOmDnJ4 as]] ''Series/TheBoys'' season 2, ''Film/Joker2019'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq2UUs-bseY as]] ''Film/{{Logan}}'', and ''Film/TheShining'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wstvv9myMbs as]] ''Film/TheLighthouse''.
127	[[/folder]]
128
129	[[folder:Western Animation]]
130	* ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitchTheSeries'' had some TV spots, attempting to follow suit of the aforementioned movie trailers, which started as ads for other cartoons Creator/DisneyChannel aired at the time.
131	* This Creator/{{YTV}} [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoLW88edtyA promo]] talks about [[Anime/DragonBallZ Goku]] and how awesome he is. But it also adds that [[spoiler:you won't find him on ''WesternAnimation/AlvinAndTheChipmunks''.]]
132	* Creator/{{Fox}}'s Animation Domination High-Def late-night animation block had [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2_Y56IM5Tk a fake trailer]] for Creator/MichaelBay's ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButtHead'', done InTheStyleOf the ''Film/TransformersFilmSeries'' and ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2014''. The two idiots from Highland, Texas murder hordes of bad guys while constantly chuckling in such a manner that comes off as [[LaughingMad extremely unnerving]], while WesternAnimation/{{Daria}} now looks like Creator/MeganFox and is wearing a much skimpier version of her IconicOutfit.
133	[[/folder]]

Context Main / TrailerSpoof