Rag & Bone Destroys Aircooled 911 For Fashion Week, Calls It “Art”

We live in an era of manufactured outrage. There isn’t a day that goes by that we don’t hear about someone being raked over the coals for an insensitive tweet, or a business being boycotted because of the owner’s political leanings. Some might be justified, and some is just anger for the sake of anger. What happens below, in my humble opinion, might just be an instance of the latter.

The clothing company Rag & Bone wanted to drum up a bit of excitement for their new Fall/Winter 2015 line debuting at Fashion Week. In anticipation of this campaign, the company and presumably their contracted marketing firm, hired a model, selected a classic Porsche, and rented a section of K-rail and a crane or hoist to lift it. Bring in the director, tote in some high definition slow motion cameras, and film the destruction that ensues. It’s an ugly scene, and it’s difficult to watch, but is it really something to get riled up about?

While I never want to see a Porsche of any kind destroyed, I suppose there are cars I’d be more worried about than an old used 1979 911 SC. Sure, the SC is a great car, and it’s a shame that the world lost another example of the breed, but I don’t think this really calls for outrage, or downvote campaigns, or joining the boycotting of a clothing brand that you probably would not have purchased from in the first place. It’s a publicity stunt that worked, I mean, we’re talking about it, right?

I graduated with a degree in advertising and promotion, so I like to think I know a thing or two about the business. Would I have ever approved a campaign like this to be released? Not in a million years. That said, it seems to have worked, as the video has received thousands of views that it likely would not have had otherwise, and the name of their brand is among the “trending topics” at the water cooler. It’s dumb, but it’s memorable, and that was their goal. Shock value sells, and there’s no such thing as bad press, right?

At the end of the day, Rag & Bone paid money for this 911 SC, and it was theirs to do with what they pleased. Destroying it wouldn’t have been my first choice (or even my millionth choice), but I support their ability to choose what to do with their own stuff. And really, is this any worse than the people who have Carrera GTs with delivery miles on them tucked away in a climate controlled warehouse somewhere? In either case, both cars are effectively dead. I can only hope that parts salvageable from this car (it doesn’t look like many) will go on to help other 911 SCs continue their lives. If we’re looking for some positives, at least this Porsche looks like it’d lived a hard and full life.

Clarkson kills Porsche 911 by broadbandsports

Besides, Jeremy Clarkson destroyed a nice old long-hood 911 a few years back, and nobody seems to be up in arms about that. In fact, there are many in the Porsche community that love his work as a television gearhead presenter.

Check Out The Response To Rag & Bone From Hagerty

You messed with the wrong family, rag & bone. The fashion company aptly named for featuring waif-like models wearing expensive garments, senselessly destroyed a true work of art — a beautiful black 1979 Porsche 911SC — by dropping a graffiti-covered concrete barrier onto the car. They call the ad campaign beautiful and bold, but we call it a catastrophe, and the SC’s brethren have returned for revenge.