The competition to win an attractive woman’s attention at a bar is intense. Before the end of a long night out, a woman hears pretty much every pick-up line in the book—twice. So, it becomes necessary for a guy to think outside of the box and attempt something unique that will make him stand out amongst the sea of potential suitors.

Barney Stinson, a revolutionary pioneer in the scientific field of pick-up tactics, knows this better than anyone else, which is why every time he meets someone he always has a new trick up his sleeve.

This one—hereby dubbed the “Back to the Future” swap—is perhaps the most elaborate one, requiring extensive make up, strong acting skills and a target that doesn’t realize time travel is a veritable impossibility in this day and age.

The premise is simple: by tricking someone into believing that you are the future version of yourself, you can fool them into believing that the fate of the world lies in their hands. This, then, allows you to inform them that they should hook up with your younger self should they ever meet them.

Genius.

Of course, actually attempting this tactic is nigh-impossible without the magic of television, but it’s still fun to watch.