Japanese variety shows are the king of staging elaborate pranks, but this digital creative agency in Georgia is giving them a run for their money. Leavingstone, in the capital of Tbilisi, was recently tasked with promoting tourism to Ireland (or a local beer brand called "Old Irish," which I've never heard of) and came up with this plan: Accost passersby in a public square, and have them wear VR goggles that immerse them in 360-degree footage of Ireland.

Sounds simple, but the producers figured out a way to take it to the next level, in a way that really screws with people's perceptions of time and space:

The details of the execution are quite clever. Notice, for instance, that they have the target standing on a box that the set then slots around. And I assume the noise and rumbling of the set being moved into place are disguised by whatever's coming through the headphones and goggles, i.e. the running horses scene.

So: You reckon it's real, or staged?

Thanks Jaysun!