Panamera Valet Prank Is a Big Joke…in More Ways than One (Video)
Prank may be more ‘reel’ life than ‘real’ life, but it is worth a watch to check out Belgian racer Jacky Ickx’s fast & furious cameo.
When we think about companies pulling off prank videos we think of Jeff Gordon getting back at automotive journalist Travis Okulski. This video from Porsche, featuring the Panamera, is a little like that, and though it’s possible that this “reality” video is not totally fake, we’re pretty sure it is mostly scripted. Though, if you’ve never seen a valet panic, you’d think these guys are overacting.
The advertisement — and let’s face it, this is an ad — starts out with the premise of swapping a guest’s car for a Panamera for a little PR stunt. They get a ride in the new Panamera, and from their faces this part looks genuine. They all seem to like the Porsche (duh, who wouldn’t?).
Then they throw in “a twist” featuring former racer Jacky Ickx that is only loosely plausible, because, although you likely recognize the name (famous racing driver, six Le Mans wins), we doubt we’d pick him out of a busy luxury hotel lobby.
After watching the video, it’s understandable to think, “of course it’s staged. Ickx goes from getting in the car to wearing a racing helmet.” But because we want to believe that such a cool scenario could actually happen, we are going to suspend disbelief. After all, it’s not too far fetched to imagine Ickx casually hopping in the Porsche, locking the doors, and donning his helmet while the valets try to remain calm.
So, Ickx takes off, does a few donuts around the fountain, and rips off down the front drive. Amusing for us, but not so much for the valets.
Ickx comes back, stops, and gets out. Then — perhaps it’s the “Porsche” written across his helmet, or the confetti cannons — they all realize that they’ve been had. It’s worth a good laugh, fake or not.
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