Sydneysiders spot huge $15,000 ‘mistake’ on Christmas billboard in iconic Kings Cross location

A huge 'billboard mistake' has caught the attention of thousands of passersby, with many wondering how someone could make a $15,000 mistake.

Joshua Kessel, a marketing manager at insurance startup Butter, came up with a clever marketing campaign disguised as an “honest mistake,” attaching the wrong file for the company's Christmas ad.

The ad was placed in Sydney's Kings Cross hotspot, right opposite the famous Coca Cola sign.

Instead of promotional material, the ad simply depicted a placeholder image with the universally recognized dummy text 'lorem ipsum'.

Sydneysiders were therefore greeted with an apparently unfinished billboard, but closer inspection revealed that the 'failure' was part of a clever campaign.

Mr. Kessel uploaded a video of him visiting the campaign for the first time, where he begins to panic.

“I spent $15,000 on the wrong billboard,” he said. 'I booked a huge billboard for the Christmas campaign and I uploaded the wrong file'

However, the billboard had the punchline: 'In case something goes wrong this Christmas', showing that it was always a joke.

“The best ideas often come from the most unexpected places,” Mr Kessel told FEMAIL.

'Our billboard is a metaphor for life. Sometimes things don't go as planned, but Butter Insurance is here to help you put the pieces back in order during the holidays and beyond.”

Hundreds shared their concerns before realizing the trick.

“Do you still have your job?” someone asked.

“Oh god you messed up,” another commented. “Someone's getting fired.”

But many thought the ad was “genius” and applauded the billboard.