If at first you don’t succeed, then cheat like crazy. That seems to be the philosophy behind the making of an ad for Volvos. Print and TV commercials featured Bear Foot, a six-ton truck that drives over a row of cars, flattening them all — except the Volvo. But last week the Swedish automaker withdrew the ad, admitting that the sturdy Volvo had a little help: steel posts welded to the chassis. When Volvo filmed the commercial last June in Austin, Bear Foot initially crushed everything in its path, including a Volvo. In view of 400 hired spectators, the production crew beefed up the dwindling supply of Volvos with the steel posts. Angry spectators prompted a state probe. In a settlement, Volvo agreed to pay Texas $316,000 in investigative costs and to run apologetic newspaper ads. Last Friday the U.S. Hot Rod Association staged a rematch. The Volvos held up well at first, but after a few passes, the truck won.
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