If you are a Reddit user you’ve probably heard about the massive billboard in Allston, Massachusetts that is offering a free Buick in exchange for dating someone’s son. The ad, seemingly written by two concerned parents, sparked controversy around the web but it turns out it was just a marketing stunt for an upcoming Jennifer Lawrence film called “No Hard Feelings”.
The billboard is visible from the Massachusetts Turnpike East highway near Boston and is titled “Need a car? ‘Date’ our son”, with a picture of a 2004 Buick Regal advertised as “clean, rust-free, 40k miles”. According to the description, the son is “smart but socially very shy” with the parents gifting the Buick to someone that will “date him and bring him out of his shell before college”.
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There is even an email for inquiries. Those who contacted DateOurSon@gmail.com got an automated response saying: “Hiyaa! Thanks for your interest in dating our son. We have had a lot of responses already, but plan to make our final decision Thursday, March 9th. We’ll be in touch soon! Allison & Laird”.
While it is hard to fall for such a corny line, the fake ad is kind of deceptive, as it doesn’t mention anything about the film. The same applies to the “Date Our Son” Facebook page. Reddit users criticized the campaign for using a theme that could be falsely associated with woman trafficking.
According to the dedicated page on IMDB, “No Hard Feelings” is a comedy directed by Gene Stupnitsky and will premiere on June 23, 2023. The plot has to do with a female Uber driver answering the aforementioned ad on Craigslist. She is willing to meet the “introverted and socially awkward teen boy” in exchange for the used Buick, after her Toyota was seized. Jenifer Lawrence plays the woman and Andrew Feldman plays the 19-year-old son. You can watch the trailer below.
