April Fools Bluff Ends With Woman Winning A $50K BMW
An April Fools bluff at a BMW dealership ended with a woman taking home a brand new $50,000 car.
The BMW Newmarket dealership, located in the Auckland suburb of Newmarket posted an “April Fools’ Day special” on the front page of the New Zealand Herald. The advertisement offered an unusual trade-in deal, and promised the first person to bring in their vehicle and the front page ad a new BMW.
While most readers expected the ad to be another April Fools Day prank, Tianna Marsh took her chances and was the first person to arrive at the dealership with her 15-year-old white Nissan Avenir. Team McMillan BMW sales manager Gavin Penfold said that Marsh arrived at approximately 5:30 a.m.
“When I met her outside, I just acted dumb,” Penfold said.
“She said ‘I’m here for the Herald competition.’ I said: ‘I know nothing about it,'” Penfold added.
Marsh then asked to speak to “Tom” as the ad state to do, and she was then notified that she was the winner of a brand new car!
“It couldn’t have gone to a more deserving winner,” Penfold said.
A double-bluff on April Fool’s Day was no match for Tianna Marsh who cashed in on a new BMW. http://t.co/SCJUlenh4K
— NewmarketNZ (@NewmarketNZ) April 1, 2015
As for her station wagon, Marsh didn’t shed any tears for it.
“There didn’t seem to be any emotional attachment to that car whatsoever,” Penfold recalled.
BMW spokesperson Ed Finn said that the ad was intentionally misleading, and was made to appear too good to be true. The license plate on the car read “No Fool,” and along with the car came a complimentary “BMW Driving Experience” course at Hampton Downs racetrack.
“This year’s effort, our most audacious and elaborate yet, is one we’re particularly proud of as we believe this reverse April 1 joke to be a world first, especially giving away a brand new car,” Finn said.
“The ad was intentionally vague and definitely appeared too good to be true, but in this case we wanted to turn the tables and reward the first person who was willing to take the chance.”
To prove that Marsh winning the car was not a joke within a joke, the whole event was recorded and uploaded to the company’s YouTube channel, according to the BBC. At the end, a message reading “Happy April Not Such a Fool” appeared across the screen. Check it out below.
Marsh’s car will be sold, and the funds received will go to GoBabyGo, a charity that provides modified, ride-on cars to disabled children.
[Photo via Twitter/NZHerald]
