German automotive giant Porsche has apologised after a famous statue of Jesus was airbrushed from one of its recently published advertisements.
In the video announcing the company’s new 911 S/T supercar, there is a brief scene of one of the vehicles driving through the streets of Portugal’s capital Lisbon.
Eagle-eyed viewers quickly noticed that a well-known element of the city’s iconic skyline was missing, that being the huge Cristo Rei statue of Jesus, which was installed in 1959.
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
Porsche confirmed that the statue was airbrushed out of the footage, with the company having since reloaded the advert with the sculpture reinstated.
“A message to our community: in a previously-uploaded version of the 911 S/T launch film, a landmark was removed,” Porsche wrote on social media.
“This was a mistake, and we apologise for any offence caused,” it added. “Your comments on this video were appreciated.”
The absence of the statue provoked outrage online, with many netizens vowing to never purchase anything produced by the manufacturer.
Others accused the company of being overly “woke”, with some highlighting what they said was the irony of Porsche “erasing Jesus” as being politically problematic considering the history of the German firm.
“Porsche made a fortune from World War II and the supply of engines for German tanks (built by slaves),” claimed Polish Law and Justice party MP Kacper Płażyński on social media.
“Hitler wanted to destroy Christianity,” he added.
The Porsche family was heavily involved with the German Government both before and during the Second World War.
