Actuarial Outpost: Is This Viral Christmas Ad Heartwarming or Messed Up?

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This holiday ad from the German supermarket chain Edeka has been getting a lot of attention online, mostly garnering widespread praise for its heartwarming Christmas message. Maybe we’re missing something here.

(Spoiler alert) So, yeah, it’s great that the family all paused their busy lives to make it home to see their lonely dear ole dad for a Christmas dinner, but the dude faked his own death and fooled everyone into coming to a nonexistent funeral! Who does that?! We guess it ended up with a happy ending, but perpetrating a death hoax on your own children seems like a pretty drastic measure.

Is This Viral Christmas Ad Heartwarming or Messed Up?