Luxury German automaker Porsche apologized for editing a statue of Jesus out of an advertisement celebrating the 60th anniversary of Porsche’s flagship 911 model.
The ad showed a 911 driving through Lisbon, Portugal, with a view of the city that should have included the Cristo Rei, a 92-foot statue of Jesus Christ that presides over Lisbon from atop a 269-foot pedestal, according to Fox Business. Instead, the commercial only showed the pedestal, and the statue appeared to have been digitally removed.
Hey, @Porsche , why did you erase the statue of Jesus Christ from your video filmed in Lisbon? pic.twitter.com/VxcfUBrN8D
— Alex B. (@maisumcarneiro) August 5, 2023
“In an early version of a film created in Europe, the Cristo Rei Statue does not appear. We are truly sorry and can fully understand the hurt this has caused. This film has been removed,” Porsche told Fox Business in a statement. (RELATED: Chicago Woman Goes Viral After Getting Horribly Ripped Off Buying A 25-Year-Old Car)
By Sunday, the sports-car company had posted an updated version of the video on YouTube that includes the Christian statue. (RELATED: ‘Collecting Dust:’ Car Dealerships Reporting Prolonged Shelf Live For EVs)
Fury as Porsche ‘airbrushes out’ statue of Jesus in new 911 promo advert: Image of the famous Cristo Rei landmark in Lisbon is ‘erased’ from background of clip that celebrates 60 years of the iconic car https://t.co/mRzjWkZ0L0
— NEWS MAKER (@NEWS_MAKER) August 6, 2023
WATCH:
Fox Business continued noted that “[t]he monument was completed in 1959 to express gratitude for Portugal being spared from the destruction of World War II due to its neutrality in the conflict.” The massive statue overlooks the Tagus River.