Nokia's Lumia 920 launch ad was shot with a pro camera — and viewers caught the van

On 5 September 2012, Nokia announced the Lumia 920, its flagship Windows Phone 8 device, at an event in New York. The phone's headline feature was an 8.7-megapixel PureView camera with optical image stabilisation (OIS). To demonstrate the OIS, Nokia released a promotional video showing smooth, steady footage apparently filmed by someone riding a bicycle while holding the phone.

Within hours, viewers noticed that window reflections in the video showed a professional camera crew riding in a van alongside the cyclist. The footage had not been shot on the Lumia 920 at all. Technology blogs and social media users seized on the discrepancy, and the story spread rapidly. Nokia shares had already fallen 16% on the announcement day, as analysts found the presentation vague and lacking specific launch details.

On 6 September, Nokia issued a public apology. The company acknowledged that the OIS demonstration footage was not shot on the Lumia 920 but with professional equipment, said the video was intended only to illustrate the benefits of optical stabilisation, and admitted it 'should have been more careful.' Nokia updated the promotional material to indicate the footage was not phone-shot. Later reviews confirmed the phone's actual camera performance was comparable to what the ad had portrayed — the deception was unnecessary.