Kimi took his costume to the end of fifty takes (left)
Formula One driver, Kimi Raikkonen, will be fronting the latest advertising campaign for Ferrari. Contrary to popular opinion, he can be a funny guy, and he will be using his humor in a series of TV commercials.
I was on the set where he is filming to find out for myself just what kind of advertising goldmine Ferrari have found in Kimi. I asked him how he is finding his new role at Ferrari.
He said, "I don't know. They brought me here today to put me into a chicken costume. I tell you later."
Ferrari's first advert features their new car, "La Ferrari". Kimi gets into the car in his chicken outfit. The voice-over asks, "Why did the chicken cross the road?" Then Kimi replies, "To drive the Ferrari."
He kept in constant radio contact with the TV crew thru an earpiece. When they asked him to keep cool to prevent the costume degrading with sweat, he said, "I know, I know. You worry about the lights. Don't bother me."
There were about fifty takes before Kimi nailed it. Two camera lenses were broken when he tried to smile, but after four hours, the crew was happy with the results.
I told Kimi how much I was impressed by his new desire to be in the limelight. However, when I mentioned to him that his continued success in the 2016 season will mean more interviews, adverts, and public relations events, he looked more miserable than usual.
Since his interview, Kimi's form seems to have taken a nosedive.
