DSB staged fake feud with influencer in TikTok prank

Danish state railway operator DSB has admitted to staging a fake public dispute with influencer Casper Krause as part of a TikTok trend, a move that has drawn both attention and criticism, reports DR.

The conflict began when DSB posted an AI-generated video on TikTok showing Krause’s face photoshopped into acrobatic poses on railway station advertisements. Krause responded with his own video, claiming legal action—though both parties now confirm the entire exchange was pre-planned.

“We’re just part of a TikTok game,” DSB’s communications chief, Niels-Otto Fisker, told DR’s P1 Morgen, acknowledging the stunt was meant to engage younger audiences. “Most young people can decode this,” he added, though the company removed the original video after backlash.

Krause, known for controversial takes on gender roles and appearances in media like DR’s documentary Nemme Penge (Easy Money), confirmed the collaboration via a third-party agency. Neither he nor DSB received payment, but critics argue the lack of clear disclosure risks misleading younger viewers.

Katrine K. Pedersen, a digital culture expert at the University of Copenhagen, called the stunt “opaque,” noting that while the humorous intent may be obvious to some, the staged nature of the conflict was not clearly communicated. “It’s problematic when targeting children and teens, who are more vulnerable to manipulation,” she warned.

DSB, which has 34,000 TikTok followers, maintains the prank was an attempt to “put a smile on people’s faces” but conceded it missed the mark. The company has since deleted the video but stands by its approach to social media engagement.