'Did you leave your oven on?' sign at South Bend International Airport goes viral in light-hearted video
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- A South Bend native is going viral after a clip she posted to Instagram about an eye-catching ad at the South Bend International Airport. Molly O'Rourke lives in LA and landed in SBN to visit family.
"I'd just taken a flight from Los Angeles to South Bend to visit my parents, which is anxiety-inducing enough," she said, "and then I saw the Notre Dame Federal Credit Union sign saying, 'Did you leave your oven on?' and I was like, 'Did I? I don't know.' Now I'm riddled with anxiety."
O'Rourke said the light-hearted video has garnered more than 25 million views as of Friday. It was even featured on Good Morning America. The sign, advertising Notre Dame Federal Credit Union, is prompting a variety of mixed reactions online. O'Rourke said the sign prompted her to check on her own house.
"I actually did have a neighbor check on the house, just in case. I haven't used my stove in months, but I was like, 'you know what?' [...] I'm going to double check.'"
While her house was just fine, she said it's both a great warning for travelers, and a clever marketing campaign.
"A handful of people on Instagram have commented that they actually have left the house with the oven on," O'Rourke said. "My hat is off to anybody in marketing that can hook you in with something so polarizing. 25 million people have seen it, and all feel very strongly about it. But they've got a sense of humor, and I'm here for it."
There are a couple other versions of the viral sign including one that reads "Did you leave your iron on?" and "Did you leave your lights on?"
As a content creator, O'Rourke said she's never had a video gain this much traction so quickly, and locals are taking notice. "People are stoked that it actually was the South Bend Airport," she said.
O'Rourke said she's learned a lesson from this moment too.
"If I've learned anything from this, it's if you're going to shoot a video that's going to go viral, like maybe brush your hair, maybe not wear a hat. I'm not even a Tigers fan. I'm a Cubs fan. I don't know why I was wearing that hat. Maybe just be a little thoughtful about what you put on at the airport before you do a viral video."