Luxury car maker Porsche has been facing massive backlash following the release of an advertisement celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Porsche 911. This advertisement came under scrutiny for allegedly excluding the Cristo Rei – an iconic statue of Jesus Christ that stands as a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Lisbon, Portugal. Following the uproar, Porsche issued an apology, calling the incident a mistake. The company has replaced the video with an updated version which features the landmark Cristo Rei statue in full view.
Renowned globally for its sports cars, the German company launched a campaign last week to pay tribute to the remarkable six-decade journey of the Porsche 911. This initiative also highlights a special edition model of the vehicle, named the 2024 Porsche 911 S/T. According to New York Post, as part of this promotional campaign, Porsche unveiled two-and-a-half-minute advertisement, showcasing the evolution of the Porsche 911 over the years. The initial video portrayed a sequence in which both classic and contemporary editions of the company’s iconic car elegantly traversed through the mountains.
Approximately 44 seconds into the video, a Porsche 911 was captured gliding against the backdrop of the bridge and river that the Cristo Rei statue typically surveys. Notably, the towering 92-feet-tall statue of Jesus was absent from this scene. The concrete pedestal upon which the statue stands remained in clear view.
This mistake was highlighted by a Twitter account, named Alex B and the post soon went viral. “Hey, Porsche, why did you erase the statue of Jesus Christ from your video filmed in Lisbon?” reads the caption of his tweet.
Porsche has now rectified the mistake by releasing an updated version of the video on YouTube, this time ensuring that the complete statue is included. “A message to our community: in a previously uploaded version of the 911 S/T launch film, a landmark was removed. This was a mistake, and we apologize for any offence caused. Your comments on this video were appreciated,” the company wrote in the video description.
Perched above the Tagus River, which separates the Portuguese cities of Almada and Lisbon, stands the statue of Jesus Christ. With outstretched arms reminiscent of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this iconic statue graces the landscape.
