Sons Prank Dad With Giant Birthday Billboard In New Jersey, Bringing In Thousands Of Phone Calls

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (CBSNewYork) - An Atlantic County dad is getting birthday wishes from all over the world, thanks to a prank by his two sons.

Chris Ferry's birthday is coming up on March 16th. The Linwood, N.J. man is already receiving well wishes, but the messages are coming from strange numbers.

"Saying 'Nick? Nick who? You don't know me, how do you it's my birthday?' [They] saw it on a billboard," Ferry said.

His face and phone number are listed on a giant billboard as you drive the Black Horse Pike into Atlantic City toward the casinos. It reads "Wish my dad Happy Birthday. Love, your sons."

"I just wanted to wish him an extra special birthday," said his son Mike Ferry.

"I'm getting things like, 'My father's birthday was March 16. He passed away. I'm contacting you in memory of him," Chris Ferry said.

Ferry's two sons Chris and Mike live in Florida. They paid for the billboard. It's the continuation of a childhood prank they would play on their dad at restaurants.

"They would always tell the waiter, waitress it's my birthday, even though it wasn't," Chris Ferry explained.

He says he has gotten more than 15,000 messages and calls.

"Has it been fun or do you want to kill them?" CBS2's Meg Baker asked.

"It was fun until this morning. Then I wanted to kill them. But I'm going with it, having a good time," Chris Ferry said.

Baker told Mike Ferry his father plans on getting him back.

"I would love to see him try," Mike Ferry said. "I just wanted to say I love my dad, I love my family, and I'm really glad he's getting attention because he's a great guy. He always puts others first, especially me and my brother."

The billboard will stay up until April 6th.

Chris Ferry says he's received messages from as far away as Germany and Africa.