Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year. There are rushes, stampedes and tents lined up around the block for holiday shoppers trying to save a buck.

So it’s only natural that sometimes things get out of hand, as they did in the video below, where four ATVs were caught by security cameras stealing items and wreaking havoc in general.

The video was revealed to be a marketing stunt for WGN America’s upcoming drama, Outsiders, set to debut Jan. 26, 2016.

The drama centers on an Appalachian family who continually struggles with the town and its leaders below, and is WGN America’s third major original series, following Salem and Manhattan. Its fourth, Underground, also will premiere next year.

The stunt was covered in “The Blackburg Eagle,” which broke the story, reporting “Four unidentified men incited an uproar Friday morning when they rode into a local retail store on ATVs.” The site also features articles about the context of Outsiders’ Farrell clan and Shay Mountain where they call home, offering up some context to the stunt and a hint that the video (and “The Blackburg Eagle”) may not be what they seem.

WGN America unveiled its involvement in the stunt on Monday:

WGN America says Black Friday was the perfect timing for this type of promotion because a the show has a similar scene in its premiere, in which the Farrell family invades a store to steal supplies.

“It’s something you’ve never seen before - and so as marketers of course we thought, what if that happened for real?” said Brian Dollenmayer, WGN America’s EVP of marketing and promotion. “And even better, what if that happened on the ultimate shopping day of the year, Black Friday?”

According to the network, the initial video made more than 11.9 million impressions across YouTube, Facebook, Tumblr, and Yahoo over the weekend.

“The social media reaction ran the gamut from shocked to appalled to completely entertained – but once they connected it to our show, we knew it was working,” said Dollenmayer.

He adds that the new drama falls directly in line with WGN America’s plan for its originals, calling it “well-written, unique, quality all the way around - and noisy as hell.”

“Outsiders is exactly the type of show we want to be producing and marketing,” he said. “When you are a growing network, you need this type of show to really make your mark.”

Next up, Outsiders will be stepping into the ring, sponsoring a UFC pay-per-view event while the show’s trailer is airing in theaters around the country leading up to its debut in January.

[Images courtesy of WGN America]

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