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Amazon wants you to know its drones are ready. It just released a video showing how it can deliver most items in under 30 minutes.
But before it can deploy the fleet, the company needs regulatory approval, making the video a marketing message aimed at regulators as well as consumers. So who did Amazon employ to send the message? None other than the U.K.’s best-known automotive journalist, Jeremy Clarkson, who this year signed a massive deal with Amazon to produce a car show for its streaming service.
For those who aren’t that into cars (or British media), Clarkson was a presenter for BBC’s “Top Gear,” the most-watched TV series in the world, until he was fired by the broadcaster for physically assaulting a producer. The Brit-wit is famous for his flag-waving antics, often lacing his commentary with overt racism. Still, car fans love his particular, belly-aching brand — he isn’t afraid, for example, to blast Ferrari for its latest forays into electric, or deride Porsche for its unimaginative designs.
That’s unusual for a reviews show. Often, media outlets focused on products end up placating the industry in order to maintain access — or stop short of saying whether something is worth buying.
Clarkson also has had no qualms about blasting the BBC itself when he felt it was merited (even when he was employed by the BBC). But it’s not clear if his forthrightness will extend to Amazon too. The e-commerce giant signed Clarkson and his production team to a $250 million, three-season deal.
For that much, surely he’ll have very nice things to say about almost anything Amazon does.
This article originally appeared on Recode.net.
