In recent months, several companies have encountered negative reactions for adopting socially conscious stances. Budweiser, Target, and Disney are among those that have faced such criticism. Presently, a prominent global car manufacturer is under scrutiny for a recent advertisement.
Porsche has unveiled a fresh advertisement commemorating six decades of the Porsche 911’s high-speed legacy. The ad highlights a special variant of the automobile, the 2024 Porsche 911 S/T. Lasting two and a half minutes, the video showcases the vehicle’s evolution, with certain portions filmed in Lisbon, Portugal. Notably, a scene features a woman strolling near a bridge, while a notable tall structure graces the background.
Do you know why #Porsche edited out the statue of Jesus in their new Ad? Because we're talking about Porsche right now. pic.twitter.com/uCJy2Uj9uV
— 【 𝓓𝖗. 𝓥𝖔𝐱 𝓞𝖈𝖚𝖑𝖎 】 (@Vox_Oculi) August 9, 2023
The edifice in question serves as the base for the Cristo Rei, an immense Jesus Christ statue that gazes upon the city. This statue was erected in the aftermath of World War II as an expression of gratitude, signifying the nation’s unscathed survival due to its decision of neutrality during the conflict. Users on social media raised inquiries regarding the omission of the statue from the video and demanded an explanation from the company.
Additional individuals on the X platform, previously recognized as Twitter, expressed intentions to initiate a boycott against the car manufacturer. They alleged that the German automotive company was embracing a socially conscious approach. A user articulated, “Porsche wants the BUD LIGHT treatment,” alluding to the previous backlash against Anheuser-Busch beer. This backlash followed the distribution of Bud Light cans featuring the visage of a transgender social media influencer, which sparked controversy. The influencer shared an image of the personalized cans online, leading to calls for a boycott by individuals with conservative viewpoints.
Porsche wants the BUD LIGHT treatment 🤦🏻♂️
— TheXRPDon (@DonnieSEvans) August 8, 2023
Porsche edits giant Jesus statue out of sports car video before putting brakes on ad https://t.co/Qd0fOLClMN #FoxBusiness
The company proceeded to upload a revised video, encompassing the complete statue within its frames. Nevertheless, a user on the X platform remained dissatisfied, asserting that the omission wasn’t accidental. This user accused the company of rectifying the situation solely after being exposed.
They only put it back when they got CAUGHT editing out a religious reference. Boycott Porsche … anti-Christian.
— Gramma Toody (@GrammaToody) August 7, 2023
The 92-foot tall statue of Jesus was edited out of a Porsche ad the carmaker posted, leaving just the 269-feet-tall pedestal. This was NO ACCIDENT.
A representative from Porsche conveyed to FOX Business that they were “truly sorry and can fully understand the hurt the edit has caused.”
