Bob Ross Paints Mtn Dew Bottle In “Lost” Episode Of ‘The Joy of Painting’
We’ve all seen deep fakes, but one advertising agency has employed the technology to have a deceased celebrity help sell soda. The Bob Ross Company teamed up with Mtn Dew on Saturday (3/6) for a “newly discovered” episode of The Joy of Painting. In other words, it’s a long commercial disguised as an episode that never happened.
Created by TBWA\Chiat\Day New York, the so-called lost episode has all of the Bob Ross vibes, including the mellow musical intro and the equally mellow artist at work. But in this case, the artist is a body double in prosthetics and a wig. CGI and face-mapping technology were added to create deep fake Bob.
The painting will look familiar to anyone who watched The Joy of Painting on PBS. It’s a winter landscape with a snow-covered mountain. Classic Bob Ross. But later in the episode, deep fake Bob paints a bottle of Mtn Dew on top of the landscape and talks about “happy little droplets.” In the It’s been a pleasure partnering with @mountaindew to bring Bob Ross back to the small screen in a new ‘Lost Episode’ that’ll inspire fans - new and old - to pick up a paint brush, and do as Bob loved to do. pic.twitter.com/ZmZiwaXHKb
Mtn Dew has received some criticism for using the image and legacy of Bob Ross, who died in 1995, in this way. However, the project had the blessing of the late painter’s company. Furthermore, the painting was made by an artist approved by The Bob Ross Company. It will be auctioned off for charity, according to MUSE by Clio.
