Okay. So weird purple orbs showed up in videos all over Singapore. People freaked out. I did too for like two seconds. Then it got wild.
Short version:
From 19–21 Sept, clips popped up of a glowing purple ball zipping around Tampines, Yishun, and Pasir Ris Park. It left a smoky trail. Sometimes it flashed like it was zapping the ground. Creepy, right? Then on 22 Sept, YouTrip said, “yep — that was us.” The orb went into a suitcase at Jewel Changi and turned into three tiny purple mascots called Trippie. The stunt was to hype their birthday mascots and a new Malaysian Ringgit wallet.
The videos
- Night. Grainy. Quick cuts.
- Purple ball. Smoky trail. Sparks.
- Different spots, three nights in a row.
Easy to share. Hard to believe.
The reveal
YouTrip posted a clip: the purple ball lands in luggage. Suitcase opens. Cute purple creatures pop out. Campaign = revealed. Product tie-in = obvious. People either laughed or rolled their eyes.
People’s reactions (hot and raw)
- Some were fooled and genuinely impressed. “Nice one,” they said.
- Others called it dumb or irresponsible. They said it made people scared for no reason.
- A few guessed it was fake from the start. Others blamed deepfakes.
- And of course, some were just here for the cute mascots.
Science bit (short)
Ball lightning is supposedly a rare weird weather thing. Trouble is, scientists barely ever get proof. Three neat videos in three days? Suspicious. The official weather peeps said it wasn’t a real weather event.
My take — blunt and beginner-style
Look, I like creative things. But staging weird, scary stuff? Risky. If people think something dangerous is happening, that’s not clever marketing. It’s playing with trust. The reveal was cute. The mascots were cute. But the in-between felt messy. If you want hype, don’t make the city anxious first.
Quick lessons (simple)
- Don’t scare people for likes.
- If you’re faking something, reveal fast. Don’t drag it out.
- Cute mascots help. But they don’t fix shaky ethics.
- Brands: be clever, not creepy.
Bottom line
YouTrip turned viral fear into a mascot launch. It worked for attention. It also annoyed a bunch of people. Cute outcome, messy middle. That’s the vibe.
