HAWTHORN have launched their 2016 finals campaign, Embrace the hunt, with the release of an innovative viral video.



The video which features a hawk dropping a snake onto a family picnicking along the Yarra River was originally posted to YouTube on Tuesday morning under the alias of ‘Douglas Wong.’



Hawthorn’s media team partnered with Melbourne production company, The Woolshed, in an attempt to create a video that would encapsulate the club’s finals theme and generate widespread media coverage.



Embrace the Hunt launched on Wednesday afternoon as the Hawks begin their quest for a fourth straight premiership.



“It was quite incredible,” said a Hawthorn spokesperson.



“We wanted everyone to know that it’s September and the Hawks are on the attack and hopefully we’ve succeeded.



“Our aim was to create a real buzz around the launch of our seventh consecutive finals campaign and really get people talking.



“The debate over its authenticity has been had by various media outlets across both Australia and the globe.



“Hopefully we haven’t scared too many people off a BBQ by the Yarra.”



In a cheeky move a Geelong Cats sticker featured on the esky of the unsuspecting family in a pointer to next Friday night’s Qualifying final between Hawthorn and Geelong.



The fake video generated over 5 million views in 48-hours and has been published by multiple media outlets around the world.