Issue 83 - June 2008 - Page 5

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Horror in Singapore - Raffles Place Ghost Video

Summary:
Security CCTV footage supposedly shows the ghostly figure of an old lady emerging from behind two men in an office building elevator (Full commentary below).

Status:
False

Example:(Submitted, May 2008)

Subject: FW: Horror in Singapore

Horror in Singapore (True encountered, even in the news)

Look at the bottom right CCTV and you can see something actually in there before those 2 men got in.

WATCH CAREFULLY! … NO JOKE !

Commentary:
A "viral" video that appears to capture the ghost of an elderly woman in a lift at Raffles Place in Singapore is circulating rapidly around the world. The video is supposedly comprised of CCTV security footage that shows two men entering the elevator and descending. The "ghost" only appears in the last sequence of the video, as the men leave the elevator.

However, although the video is very cleverly rendered, it is a deliberate hoax and does not show a "real" ghost. In fact, the ghost video was created for recruitment and HR consultancy group, GMP ostensibly to highlight the dangers of working late. In a video statement (included below), Josh Goh, GMP's Corporate Services Manager explains why the hoax was created:

At GMP, we want to highlight the dangers of working late. Stress, fatigue, ill health are just a few. And,..... if you're really, really unlucky, you might see a ghost!..... Just kidding. Working late is simply not healthy.

The ghost video, created for GMP by advertising company McCann Worldgroup for a reported cost of $100,000, has been a phenomenally successful promotional vehicle for the company. The Raffles Place ghost has been discussed at length on hundreds of websites and has even been featured in the mainstream news media, all of which equates to free advertising for the GMP group. An article about the campaign featured on Marketing-Interactive.Com notes:

Farrokh Madon, ECD for McCann Worldgroup Singapore said that the Raffles Place Ghost is a "defining piece of Singapore advertising" and a "fantastic example of how a big idea can magnify a small advertising budget". Madon told Marketing that the video was discussed on over 300 websites with "everyone from Paranormal Societies to Production Video makers offering their expert comments on the video".

Yet another YouTube video shows how the "ghost" video may have been created:

Although many ghost enthusiasts may be disappointed to discover that the Raffles Place elevator ghost video is fake, it is nevertheless a quite entertaining piece.

References:
The GMP Group
GMP - The Reveal
McCann Worldgroup
$100K spent on Raffles Place hoax

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