Will the mouse survive this pest-control ad?

DeVito/Verdi produced this Ehrlich Pest Control spot, which, according to press materials, began its life as a regular old unbranded personal YouTube video. Of course, that would only be novel if this were 2006. What’s notable here is how effectively the clip creates palpable tension and makes its point using just a cute (to some) yet menacing (to others, like me) creature, a familiar tune and a payoff that doesn’t suck—if only because many of us have played out this same frustrating scene in real life.