FREMONT, Ohio—Police were called to a branch of Fremont FCU here after a passerby reported seeing three people swinging bats at an ATM.
But as it turned out, the situation was far less alarming than it appeared — the individuals were CU employees filming a promotional video for their branch’s new ATMs, according to The Toledo Blade.
The scene was a homage to the cult-classic film Office Space, in which disgruntled office workers smash a malfunctioning printer. In this version, the target was an outdated ATM that had long been a source of frustration for staff, The Toledo Blade said.
Joe Tutak, FFCU’s vice president of marketing, said the idea stemmed from the team’s real-life struggles with the old machines.
"We had been experiencing difficulties and performance issues with the ATMs for the past year. The previous vendor was extremely lacking. There were many issues. Subsequently, in April, they went out of business. We were already in the process of replacing the vendor," Tutak said.
An anonymous tipster, unaware of the context, alerted police. When Officer Jordan Smith arrived, FFCU’s Chief Financial Officer Jack Milkie was ready to clarify, The Toledo Blade said.
"I kind of knew why the police was there — three grown men taking baseball bats to machinery," Milkie said in the report. "That might cause alarm for some people driving by. I got ready to answer his questions and put his mind at ease."
Police left the scene, and the group finished the video.
View the video here.