A promotional video made by WA Police to publicise its "Goodbye Graffiti" campaign has attracted widespread derision on social media, with users denouncing it as "cringeworthy" and "the worst video I have ever seen".
The awkward video, which was uploaded to the WA Police Facebook page last week, has been viewed more than 70,000 times and shared extensively on social media.
It depicts a young couple walking through the streets of the inner-city Perth suburb of Leederville and buying coffee.
"Thank you so much for today — what's the special occasion?" the woman asks.
"Remember those guys who were tagging the bus stop?" her companion says, as the video cuts to a scene of youths spray painting a bus shelter as sinister music plays.
"I got sick of them doing it and tagging, so I reported them," he says. "I didn't realise it, we got a reward."
"That's awesome - that's a win-win," the woman says.
For some Twitter users, the video invoked memories of an excruciating Department of Finance recruitment video which referred to its graduates as "game-changers" and featured them boasting about "paleo pear and banana bread" and buddy workshop groups for recruits.
"Saving money on actors to pay rewards, i like it," wrote a Facebook user in response to the WA Police video.
"What the heck was that ?!?!" wrote another.
"You telling me this dude turned into a snitch for a cup of coffee? Ain't gonna lie he looks like he been snitching since pre school tho … this is the advert you put out to stop graffiti? This is a joke..."
"Oh my god cringe HAHAHAHA. That advert is legitimately the most awkward thing ive ever seen LOL," wrote Ashlee Treacy.
Rochanne Olds said "Cancel the oscars this year, I know what's gonna win best picture."
"Who do I speak to about the reward for having sat through that?" Phil Hahn wrote.
The WA Police campaign offers rewards for those who provide information about people who graffiti, in an attempt to save some of the estimated $25 million graffiti removal costs the State annually.
