Bigfoot Benz
Posted by: Craig Woolheater on January 23rd, 2007
This was originally posted here on Cryptomundo two years ago, but as there are many new readers since then, and we can host the video here, I thought that I would repost it.
On March 1st of 2005, I received a rather cryptic email with a video clip attached. Following is the text from the email:
Not sure what this is. This was discovered in the out-takes of 28,000 feet of film during one-lights for a Mercedes car shoot, doing what is called “running footage,” shooting the various models each year to be inserted into dealership ads. In filming the Mercedes ML 350 and ML 500 all-wheel drive snow footage on a logging road in Tahoe. This was first thought to be a crew member accidentally walking into the shot. Upon closer inspection and then questioning, all crew were at base camp and the road was miles and miles away from any public access.
Any thoughts?
— Anonymous
Crew member, huh? That explains the dark clothing from head to toe and the weird behavior… 🙂
This was sent by someone from an ad agency, probably the one that was involved with the ad campaign. I replied with some questions and never received any additional comment.
Co-founder of Cryptomundo in 2005.
I have appeared in or contributed to the following TV programs, documentaries and films:
OLN's Mysterious Encounters: "Caddo Critter", Southern Fried Bigfoot, Travel Channel's Weird Travels: "Bigfoot", History Channel's MonsterQuest: "Swamp Stalker", The Wild Man of the Navidad, Destination America's Monsters and Mysteries in America: Texas Terror - Lake Worth Monster, Animal Planet's Finding Bigfoot: Return to Boggy Creek and Beast of the Bayou.
Ok…..this time I can see the controls for the Google Video window, but it doesn’t work.
Seems odd that Bigfoot would do the same thing in two different shots…unless he’s trying to break into the filming biz. 😉
I can also see the controls now, but nothing happens. Other than that, love the new site.
No video here either.
Same here.
Definitely two different shots. No idea why the hoaxer got greedy and replicated the footage twice. If he’d have stuck with the first shot, he may have generated some excitement.
In this case, it’s easily debunked: in the second shot, even if (I assume) it’s meant to represent the same instance shot from two different cameras on the camera rig, the ‘creature’ is clearly MUCH closer to the rear of the vehicle when it steps into the road. Of course, this is ignoring why it would step out so closely to a moving vehicle in the first place. In the first take, it’s a little more believable, stepping into the road a good 50 yards after the SUV passes. In the second, the bumper barely clears the path before he’s slowly and calmly ambling his way into traffic.
Nice try, but I’m still waiting for a -good- hoax. (Or, of course, the next Patterson/Gimlin footage.)
i got the vid
yeah, im going with hoax…
I can see the video clearly. Looks like a guy with a hooded jacket to me.
I see the controls, but nothing else.
Even with minimal playing with the photo on Photoshop, the figure seems to be wearing gray gloves and gray boots with the pants tucked in. And possibly wearing sunglasses or goggles. It also seems a little short for a bigfoot. I don’t think its head would clear the top of the vehicle. Not that there couldn’t be height-challenged Bigfoots (or feet), I guess.
This isn’t a hoax, this is a scam created by the car company in order to get some free publicity/advertisement, and Cryptomundo unfortunately fell for it! Pathetic and sad, shame on them.
Too short and small to be a bigfoot. For a creature that likes to stay out of sight. It most likely is a hoax.
Just in the still photo alone there is nothing to make me think this is anything other than a man in dark clothing. The proportions don’t even seem that impressive to me. If I were shown this still and not told that it was a supposed Bigfoot, I would not have thought anything strange about this at all. I think it is a probable publicity stunt and a lot of people maybe seeing what they want to see.
Hoax. But I don’t think its by the car company… a bf hoax only translates as negative publicity and armchair cryptozoologists probably aren’t their target market. 😉
Probably just a lark by the camera crew. Someone walked through the frame by accident and the camera guy joked that from that angle it looked like a bigfoot. A key grip pulled up his hoody and voila… something to laugh about at the wrap party.
Why do it twice though? Fishy. And why send both so that it can be easily debunked? Also fishy, though not in the same way. Likely red herrings both, regardless…
This is, in fact, a promo video that a tricky Mercedes advertiser sent around the web. Whether you believe in Bigfoot or not, the Mercedes logo is shining like a beacon in the night. It’s a hoax.
Everyone else has said everything I was going to say! Oh well, late again! Next…
Publicity stunt. Bigfoot pranks don’t generate bad publicity, trust me, I’ve gotten good publicity with some of my own. But they should have just used the first one and scrapped the second one.