Chuck Norris's Signature Grants the Toyota Tacoma Some of His Powers

From Car and Driver

Thanks largely to a steady supply of aging action stars and ad agencies with budgets to match their concepts, there’s no shortage of celebrities willing to participate in a little self-referential humor for the benefit of mankind. Toyota is the latest exploit the meta-fueled trend, calling on the stalwart Chuck Norris to ham it up in its latest spot for the Toyota Tacoma pickup.

Directed by Andreas Nilsson of Biscuit Filmworks, the same genius responsible for Volvo’s “The Epic Split” advertisement featuring Jean-Claude Van Damme from a few years back, for the agency of Saatchi & Saatchi, the spot takes full advantage of Norris’ willingness to laugh at his own expense.

Opening with Chuck Norris karate-chopping concrete blocks in front of hardware store for no apparent reason, he is recognized by a bystander who asks him to autograph his freshly-minted Toyota Tacoma. In the act of laying down his signature Norris grants the Tacoma access to some of his vast superpowers, which the truck immediately celebrates by spinning copious doughnuts and leaving behind a portrait of Chuck Norris rendered in burnt rubber on the pavement. From there is segues into a short montage of the Taco performing a number of all-American hero activities, allowing the creators ample space to get in all the requisite Chuck Norris gags before reeling it back in with an incredulous Norris in a low-rent office questioning the realization that he’s been replaced with a truck.

While Norris generally drove a Ram or GMC in his role as “Walker Texas Ranger,” he does share one key characteristic the Tacoma: longevity. Now 78 years old, Norris hasn’t lost a step since his 1970s action move days; the Tacoma, introduced in 1995-itself a close descendant to the Hilux pickup that made its stateside debut in the late 1960s-continues to rack up sales despite its advancing age and increased competition. You can waste untold hours looking for it on television, or, you know, just click to watch it here. The choice is up to you.

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