Last Blockbuster posts hilarious ad showing shop surviving armageddon - as ... trends now
A commercial for the last Blockbuster store in the world which joked it would remain open 'til the bitter end' has boosted its sales by 200 percent.
The ad, which is set in post-apocalyptic Oregon, shows a cockroach traveling through a dystopian landscape before arriving at the video rental store, the only business to have survived.
Since the family-run store in Bend, Oregon, couldn't afford a $7million Super bowl commercial earlier this month, they decided to record something on a budget and release it on social media.
The vintage-feeling commercial nonetheless resonated with nostalgic Americans who have been supporting the business by buying merchandise related to the commercial, including t-shirts featuring the cockroach, named Steve, and physical VHS tapes containing the 30-second ad.
A post-apocalyptic-themed commercial for the last Blockbuster in the world, in Bend, Oregon, has caused its sale to double
The store's manager Sandi Harding (pictured) said she wanted to show what a small business can achieve on a small budget
The store's manager Sandi Harding appeared on NewsNation to discuss the success of the ad, titled 'Blockbuster: Until the Bitter End' and the recent boost in sales. She also said she wanted to show what small businesses can achieve on smaller budgets.
'We didn't have that $7million budget but wanted to do something fun' she said. 'It was such a great experience to film it, to put it out on social media and to see everyone appreciate our hard work.'
The post-Armageddon theme, she said, was a nod to the store's history and its refusal to close as the era of online streaming wreaked havoc on video and DVD rental businesses.
'It was just poking fun at the fact that we've survived everything else, we're going to survive the
