Having demonstrated the effect of cyber attacks in real-time last year with a billlboard "powered" by hackers, insurance brand Hiscox has followed it up with a clever experiential stunt. 

To show businesses how cyber fraudsters target and damage companies, agency AMV BBDO staged a "real-world hack" on a bricks-and-mortar store, working with bicycle retailer Brompton to surprise both its staff and members of the public.

Staff were filmed by Glue Society director Jonathan Kneebone (in the guise of making a documentary about Brompton) as a fake store named "3rompton" opened its doors to the public opposite the genuine Brompton store in Shoreditch. 

Only three people at Brompton knew about the stunt (including the CEO) so staff reactions were genuine. They watched in disbelief as real life reflected common hacking techniques such as ransomware and phishing. The fake store looked almost identical to the real store, and was even staffed by lookalikes. Genuine stock deliveries were diverted to the fake store, highlighting the potential effects of a phishing scam. The real store was boarded up, displaying a ransom note demanding Bitcoin in exchange for re-entry. Finally the real Brompton store was flooded with imitation customers overwhelming staff, simulating a "denial-of-service" attack.

Clark Edwards, creative director at AMV BBDO, says: “Cyber crime lives in the shadows. It’s faceless. Creating something physical to demonstrate the chaos it can bring felt like a fresh new way to talk about the problem.”

Olivia Hendrick, marketing director at Hiscox, comments: “Many small businesses aren’t aware of the growing threat that cyber crime poses; an attack can quickly overwhelm and paralyze a business...For us, this is a fresh and disruptive way to communicate the threat and how insurance can be a lifeline if you’re impacted."