Company surprised at HRT exposure
by Red Andy on Mar 12th, 2011A Taiwanese clothing manufacturer has said it is "pleasantly surprised" to have received prominent branding on this year's Hispania Racing car, despite the company and the Formula One team never having been in contact.
The launch of the HRT F111 in Barcelona today provided a welcome distraction for visiting journalists, who have spent much of this week alternately speculating just how underweight Sauber's car is, and feigning surprise at McLaren's apparent lack of pace despite the fact that this seems to happen every other year. However, the car's launch also provoked a frenzy in the Asian republic, as it emerged that a hitherto unexpected partnership between the team and a Taiwanese company had arisen.
Chu Wing Dung, marketing spokesman for This Is A Cool Spot - a fashion brand that is distributed mainly in East Asia - said of the unexpected tie-up: "We have not been in touch with the team, but we are extremely pleased that they have chosen to use our name to adorn their cars. This move gives us unexpected extra exposure in Western markets, where we are looking to launch our products in the near future."
The statement from the company is in sharp contrast to American car manufacturers Ford, who issued court proceedings against Ferrari after the Italian marque named its 2011 car the F150 - which the company deemed to be too similar to its own F-150 truck.
The proceedings forced a climbdown by Ferrari, who had to rename their car: "After much thought, we have decided to rename our chassis the Ferrari Mondeo," the group's president, Luca di Montezemolo, whispered hoarsely.
HRT, however, have been advised to reconsider the decision to allow the company exposure without receiving payment for it: "Having a sponsor who doesn't pay you is a sure step towards financial ruin," said former F1 team principal Martin Birrane, when interviewed on the subject this morning. "I don't know who would do something so silly."
Do note folks, that these 'Runoff Area' news stories are completely fabricated and intended for your enjoyment. For more satirical news stories, read more Runoff Area articles here - or if you would rather read some actual and real news have a look at our Latest News Articles here - thank you very much!
Comments and Discussion
Ferrari Mondeo. Hilarious.
"HRT, however, have been advised to reconsider the decision to allow the company exposure without receiving payment for it: "Having a sponsor who doesn't pay you is a sure step towards financial ruin," said former F1 team principal Martin Birrane, when interviewed on the subject this morning. "I don't know who would do something so silly."
This guy must be speschul if he thinks a taiwanese clothing company is going to fork out millions of dollars to promote a brand no one in the west has even heard of. With possibly the most embaressing team to ever enter f1, especially when they already have it for free.
I understand satire it's just that this is bloody awful. I think what Andy doesn't understand - or at least, know how to do properly - is write comedy. 10 for effort judging by the weight of output, however.
Humour is like ice-cream. Everyone enjoys a different flavour.
There is good writing and there is bad writing. Likewise, there is good comedy writing and bad comedy writing and this is bad - and consistently bad; ergo, he can't write comedy. I completely understand the joke mechanics upon which the above piece is constructed: it's just poorly conceived and executed. As I'm 100% sure he does, go to the Daily Mash or the Onion to see how this sort of style is done well. The problem with comedy is that you can't get away with mediocrity because it's immediately, viscerally obvious if it's no good, unlike straight prose. 'I know what I like', is no more a defence here than the person who thinks My Family is just as funny as Fawlty Towers: in that case, you prefer rubbish and I can prove it on an Etch a Sketch, (to steal the logic of a comedian who, were he alive, I'm sure would agree with me.)
I too dislike My Family and thus don't watch it. Similarly, if you don't enjoy the Runoff Area articles then perhaps you just shouldn't read them. You're fully entitled to your opinion and the public expression of it but is there anything to be gained from critiquing something you don't even like?
The Runoff Area is largely very popular and its revival on Badger has been greeted with a great deal of positivity. I don't think there's any argument for Andy changing what he does whilst people are clearly enjoying it.
I for one think it's brilliant. Lol at Lola