Pixar Teases Latest Film With Monstrously Good Ad

Going to university is a life-changing experience, so it's important to pick the right college for you. Especially if you have extra arms, big sharp teeth and maybe a tentacle or too.

The hotly anticipated sequel to Pixar's Monster's Inc. will be set at the best school of scaring, where the slimy, furry and many-eyed learn to be the best at their terrifying trade, Monsters University (MU). This ad doesn't promote Monsters University the film, it invites viewers to sign up to the university itself. 

The brilliant ad was broadcast during coverage of collegiate football competition, The Rose Bowl. It's not uncommon for universities to advertise during the game, attempting to entice youngsters into enrolling, and this clip brilliantly hi-jacked the slot.

Expertly camouflaged, the CGI trailer looks just realistic enough to fit in, touring the MU campus and showing hi-tech labs, picturesque grounds and historic buildings. But then everything changes when you meet the students.

There's a big purple furry thing, and a long-legged green scaly one, a whole campus packed with oddly cute, but very weird looking students.

The ad's sickly-sweet messages - "your future is knocking, so open the door" - is probably quite similar the college ads it's lampooning. The clip even invites viewers to visit the university's brilliant website, where visitors can check out course, learn how to "excel at the Art of Extreme Creepiness" and even buy University products.

It's a clever ad, smartly delivered to reach as many university-aged fans as possible, who are also the perfect age to fondly remember the original Monsters Inc film. Funny and witty, the pretence of MU being real is kept up on the website, making for a fun visit spotting brilliant jokes in the apparently serious text.

With over 304,000 views since it was launched 3 days ago the clip has become a hit with movie buffs, appearing on film blogs from around the world. It's not just cinema-geeks who love the clip, it has earned over 28,000 shares and created a buzz on Twitter.

While the creatures within it have some way to go before they are truly terrifying, the ad itself is scarily good.

Pixar's Top 10 Trailers

Pixar has been entertaining everybody - young and old - since 1986.

From classic movies like Toy Story to short films like Geri's Game, it is undeniably one of the world's favourite animation studios.

So in celebration of their latest release, Brave, we've compiled a chart of Pixar's best loved trailers based on the number of times they have been shared on Facebook, Twitter and the blogosphere.

Below is the top 10, but if you would like to see the full list, click here.

10. Toy Story 2 (1999)

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