If you are an Instagram user, you have probably seen a viral video featuring what has come to be known as the “Mermaid Dog.” It’s a quick video clip – but the creature effortlessly gliding through the water with the most captivating hair is almost impossible not to stare at.
So what is the creature? Many people have guessed that it is a dog…more specifically, an Afghan Hound. But The Daily Dot did a bit of digging and they discovered that the video was created by Klarna, one of Europe’s leading online payment companies, and the graceful creature is simply animation, not a real animal.
Klarna released the short video clip a year ago – it is titled “Smooth (the Swim)” and it is meant to sell people on its smooth payment system. The original YouTube video never really caught steam, but when the company posted it to Instagram on September 17, with #noworries, it was a completely different story.
Mermaid dog began trending on Instagram, and then Twitter. Twitter user Spooky Dogfriend let the cat out of the bag, “It was only after the tweet blew up (and watching it 100 times) I figured it’s probably cgi. I have once again filled the internet w lies.”
Real creature or not, Klarna is considering this a marketing success. David Sandström, chief marketing officer at Klarna, told The Daily Dot, “My team is super excited about this. We’re really happy that people are sharing it.”
More news and updates at this link to National Animal News Facebook page – here.
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It’s a dog. So what?
it’s not a dog
It looks like a Lhasa Apso.
it’s not even an animal…which is what this article is about
I get that. I’m just commenting what it looks like to me.
Ahh, guess you lost me when you said “it’s a dog, so what?” Sounded like you thought it was a dog…
Sorry Penney.. Sometimes written comments loses its’ meaning unlike being verbal.
It’s a CGI and a really good marketing campaign for that company. Really catches peoples attention but sometimes it’s too good and you lose what the company is promoting.