Porsche Apologizes For Digitally Removing Jesus Statue From 911 Ad, Puts It Back

A nostalgic video advertisement for the Porsche 911 S/T, commemorating 60 years of the iconic sports car, ignited controversy on social media when a user observed that the Cristo Rei – a statue of Jesus Christ that gazes over the city of Lisbon, Portugal – had been digitally removed from the backdrop in a specific scene. In response to the backlash, Porsche promptly issued an apology and re-uploaded the video with the statue reinstated in its original position.

The 2-minute and 30-second-long commercial showcases various generations of the 911 driving amidst settings accurate to their respective eras, accentuating the nameplate’s progression over time. Notably, the segment spanning from the 0:44 to 0:45 mark captures the Tagus River, gracefully connecting the Portuguese cities of Lisbon and Almada.

However, keen observers noticed a conspicuous absence within the backdrop. Perplexingly, the editing process led to the removal of the towering 92-foot “Santuário de Cristo Rei” statue from its commanding position atop the 269-foot pedestal, evoking questions about the rationale behind this omission.

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Twitter user Alex B noticed the omission and complained in a public post that garnered over 5.8 million views. His post on Friday, caused Porsche to re-upload a new version of the commercial on Sunday, this time featuring the Jesus statue in the background.

According to a report by Fox Business, Porsche released a statement expressing remorse for the incident and acknowledging that the alteration to the video, which resulted in the exclusion of the religious monument, was a mistake. The statement read, “In a preliminary cut of a film produced in Europe, the Cristo Rei Statue was unintentionally omitted. We sincerely apologize and recognize the distress this has caused. The video in question has been removed.”

Multinational companies, including automakers, often maintain a cautious stance toward religious symbols and references, aiming for acceptance by a broader target audience. While this approach is understandable, in the case of Porsche, a better alternative might have been to exclude this specific scene from the montage altogether, rather than attempting to erase a religious monument from view.

According to information from Wikipedia, the “Santuário de Cristo Rei,” a Catholic monument portraying Christ with arms outstretched, was constructed in 1959. It stands as an overseeing figure above Lisbon, positioned in the adjacent city of Almada. The monument was erected as an expression of Portugal’s gratitude for having been spared from the “immediate destructive consequences” of World War II.

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