Dumb Ways to Die: 2012 campaign ‘resurrected’ with new trend on TikTok

As you may have noticed, a new trend emerges on TikTok every day. And the fashion of the time is an old internet witness: stupid ways to die (or “stupid ways to die” in Portuguese).

Users post videos showing people in seemingly harmless situations with the hashtag “#dumbwaystodie” — mostly —but it doesn’t end well in the end.

The hashtag has been viewed more than 149 million times on the social network to date. “I’m addicted to this stupid death trend but I’m worried the videos are actually real,” wrote one user in the comments. Check out the videos:

#duet with @official_dumbwaystodie @Helga María ? We love this trend!! #dumbwaystodiee #dwtd #dumbs ? original sound – Blake Floyd

@calvesandlaughs #dumbwaystodye #dumbwaystodiee ? original sound – Abigail MF Arnold

@iomjames #dumbwaystodye #dumbwaystodiee #trending #fyp ? original sound – SXS Blog

@gabeweik Irony #dumbwaystodiee #alligator #swimming #florida #snorkeling #floridaman #dumbwaystodye #dumbways ? original sound

@blue_moon868 sacrificed 2 balls to save 1. #dumbwaystodye #dumpwaystodie #indiancommentator #viral #trending #funny #?? #dumbwaystodiee #pourtoi #xyzbca #soccer #football #calcio #laliga #premierleague #liverpoolfc #realmadrid #barcelona #CapCut #jokes #foryoupage #trendingvideo ? escapism – Super Boost – RAYE

@official_dumbwaystodie ? original sound – Blake Floyd

In response to the TikTok trend, Twitter users started sharing their own “stupid death stories”.

I guess one of the stupidest ways to die would be when I stood up quickly and my blood pressure dropped, everything went black and I was almost back on the ground.

– mahwmy!! (@mahwmy) February 5, 2023

I was listening to “Stupid Ways to Die”.
I remembered that I almost got hit by the bus when I followed my dog ​​running into the street.
Was I like 6 years old?

— ? ? louis? (@daraspoesy) February 5, 2023

The stupidest way I died was the day I was chased by a car with two guys and I walked into a house with another random guy to protect me and he didn’t want to let me go.

– isadora (@isadoraloiseb) February 6, 2023

Advertising campaign

What younger social media users probably don’t know is that “stupid ways to die” is actually a campaign created by the Australian government to reduce crashes on the subway and at home.

The advertising campaign launched in 2012 drew attention to “stupid” accidents that could result in death, such as poking a bear with a stick, taking medication without a doctor’s advice, and certain situations in subway stations, using cute characters and bubblegum music. Check out the video below:

Dumb Ways to Die became world famous and even won a game. In it, the user, of course, should avoid dying in unlikely situations. The mobile game that bears his name was a success back then and is still available for Android and iOS today.