Carroll, say it isn't so . . .

[BARNEY O]

That picture would have been a little more palatable if it had been popping over a sharp crest in the roadway...

[Neonspinnazz]

I laugh at the thought of a Bugatti Veyron that's been sound deadened to the point where the engine couldn't be heard at wide open throttle...

Ah, some innovations aren't innovative at all!

[jwight]

Let us not forget the furor over the smart ad showing an elephant on top of the car. "It's fake!" was the outcry - yeah, no kidding....

And then there's this one - obviously false advertising...



Playing around with photos is one thing; Ford got caught in the mid 90s advertising false horsepower ratings for the Mustang - that landed them in court.

[Critical Thinker]

Originally Posted by BARNEY O

That picture would have been a little more palatable if it had been popping over a sharp crest in the roadway...

Like in the movie Bullitt?

[Critical Thinker]

Originally Posted by jwight

Playing around with photos is one thing; Ford got caught in the mid 90s advertising false horsepower ratings for the Mustang - that landed them in court.

I remember that very well. It was the '99 Mustang Cobra that caused Ford all the negative publicity. That year, the car was supposed to produce 320 HP, but after people started putting on dynos, the RWHP was lower than expected (after allowing for parasitic drivetrain losses) and the whole mess rapidly gained speed. Ford did the right thing though....they "upgraded" the '99 cars to produce the advertised HP. Since then, I think they've been more careful with their advertised HP claims.

Ford isn't the only manufacturer to come under fire for pumped up HP claims. Mazda went though the same thing with the Miata and the RX8.

[Kermit]

How about the Godzilla stepping on a smart commercial. I have yet to see that one happen in real life. The nerve of those liars.

[jwight]

Originally Posted by Critical Thinker

Like in the movie Bullitt?

Well, that's a late model but we get the idea. BTW, if anyone saw the season finale of Alcatraz Monday night they recreated the car chase from Bullitt almost shot-for-shot, complete with the VW Bug being passed several times in different locations. Didn't crash the Charger into a gas station, however.

[Kermit]

Originally Posted by jwight

Well, that's a late model but we get the idea. BTW, if anyone saw the season finale of Alcatraz Monday night they recreated the car chase from Bullitt almost shot-for-shot, complete with the VW Bug being passed several times in different locations. Didn't crash the Charger into a gas station, however.

But they did roll it. (destroyed it)

[BARNEY O]

Originally Posted by Critical Thinker

Like in the movie Bullitt?

Yeah, that's the ticket!!!

[MB DNA]

Originally Posted by jwight

Let us not forget the furor over the smart ad showing an elephant on top of the car. "It's fake!" was the outcry - yeah, no kidding....

But while the ad showing an elephant on the roof of a smart may have been "fake" I don't recall any accidents being reported wherein the smart roof collapsed under the crushing weight of an elephant? Now we could ask Myth Busters to conduct such a test but then our friends at PETA would get upset so, . . .

The San Juan smart (wrecking ball) advertisement makes a true statement by "loosely" saying;

"more solid than you think"
Designed to withstand any impact from their exclusive cover, "Tridion Safety Cell" that absorbs shocks and protects its passengers with steel plates of high strength and support.

Safety is smart

Now the graphic using a smart as a wrecking ball may have been "false advertising" as one clearly cannot knock down a building without breaking some glass or a body panel? But then again, in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (a U.S. territory), false advertising probably doesn't create nearly as much noise as here in the litigious U.S.A.?

But, if smart were to Photoshop the front wheels lifted on a bone stock smart and then caught all the FREE advertising that Shelby American got some would call that highly creative!

At the end of the day, in the interest of keeping the smart brand viable, any advertising is better than none.