It’s like a scene out of “The Twilight Zone” — mannequins living and breathing as shoppers walk around the store.
A “mannequin mob” took over Gap’s flagship store in Midtown, prompting store security to call the cops.
Prankster Charlie Todd, founder of Improv Everywhere, organized the freaky flash mob and had 40 participants dress in white morph suits and pose as living mannequins.
The performers were instructed to suit up and freeze in place for five minutes just after 3:30 p.m. April 13.
Todd, 35, said the funniest reactions were from customers who didn’t even notice the fake mannequins.
“One guy walked by 10 different performers without even looking up,” Todd said. “He walked up to one of our performers, touched his sweater as everyone does when they’re shopping, and then just keeps walking.”
The prank was planned to last 10 minutes — five minutes of the actors freezing in place and five minutes to unmask and show their true identity — but one of Gap’s security guards called police to report the flash mob.
“It was not our goal to wind up in handcuffs,” Todd said. “It certainly wasn’t our goal to waste the police’s time.”
About half of the 40 performers were cuffed, including Todd.
“I had to go down with the ship, since I organized,” he said. “Once they realized it was a diverse group of nice people including a 70-year-old man, they were much calmer and very professional.”
Todd said he chose that particular Gap because of its size and mannequin style. He needed the mannequins to be as close to the costumes as possible so the actors could really blend in.
“We focus on doing pranks that are positive and funny,” Todd said. “Our goal is to make people laugh and smile and give people a good story to tell.”