Story:
A video shows the Swiss Tennis superstar Roger Federer knocking off a metal can from a man’s head from a distance, he does it again for the second time, getting an applause from the crew.
Analysis:
This video showing Roger Federer knocking off a metal can from a man’s head went viral and got millions of views within a short span of time. The video became popular also because it raised question whether it is real or fake. The video was in fact faked – it is a Gillette commercial shoot starring the tennis star Roger Federer.
About the Video
The video was part of a Gillette commercial shoot in Switzerland, which featured Roger Federer serving a tennis ball to knock off a can from the head of one of the crew members – twice in a row. But when you closely observe the two shots in the video, you can see that the camera is away and does not cover the first shot clearly. During the second shot, if you pause-play and watch the video slowly between timeline 1:29 to 1:31, you can see that the tennis ball vanishes from the frame after Federer hits it, and the can on the man’s head clearly appears like being pulled away by something/someone from the back of him.
Official Talk on Video
When Roger Federer was asked about the authenticity of the video, whether it is real or faked, he replied:
“Not saying that… a magician doesn’t tell how his tricks work.”
About the same question, a Gillette spokesperson said:
“All we’ll say at the moment is we’ll leave the ‘real or fake’ debate up to the viewers, but the evidence is there to see. Roger’s skill and ability is incredible (that’s why he’s a Gillette ambassador!) so of course it was filmed in one take during a shoot for Gillette Fusion’s partnership with the British Skin Foundation.”
Conclusion
These things confirm that the unbelievable tennis trick shot of Roger Federer is a hoax – it is a commercial advertisement ‘made’ to promote Gillette products.
It is to be noted that simple, clear and real TV ads are things of past now, the video advertisement these days has taken few extra leaps to create spontaneous, intriguing and ‘improvised’ commercials. Because these are quick to grab the viewers’ attention and also go viral, serving the purpose of brand marketing effectively. Like the old adage says – everything that we see and hear need not be true!
Hoax or Fact:
Hoax.
References:
Crazy Roger Federer Trick Shot a Viral Hit for Gillette
Roger Federer Now Basically Admits His William-Tell Knock-Can-Off-Head-With-Serve Trick Was Fake
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