A decade ago and, ready for it, 119 million views ago(!), Volvo released The Epic Split, a 75 second commercial to promote its FM series trucks. Featuring the iconic Jean-Claude Van Damme performing a split on two Volvo truck wing mirrors – that are going in reverse, and all set to the music of Enya’s “Only Time”.
According to folklore (aka Wikipedia), the commercial was filmed in one take, on an abandoned airport in Spain. With tongue, we suspect, firmly lodged in cheek.
It won several awards and during filming (again, said with scepticism), Van Damme was protected by a hidden safety harness and wire not visible in the final result. A small platform was fitted to each truck behind the wing mirrors to support Van Damme's feet during the stunt.
READ MORE
Both trucks were supposedly driving in reverse at a speed of 25km/h, with co-drivers in each of the two trucks to help monitor speed.
As a result, Enya's song re-entered the Billboard Top 100 reaching number 43, 13 years after the original release. The campaign was estimated to have cost $3-4 million to produce, and generated $170 million in revenue for Volvo.
There’s even a ‘making-of’ YouTube video that semi-convincingly purports to back-up the stunt as being genuine, with JCVD test driving a truck – forwards – and getting a briefing of the stunt (surely he would have received this before being on site on shoot day!).
A number of parodies ensued, most famously by the similarly legendary Chuck Norris, who shall never be topped according to the zeitgeist, featuring an epic Christmas split where his Walker, Texas Ranger character performs a similar manoeuvre between two aircraft, to the opening lines of Hamlet.
As the camera pulls back, 11 commandos are seen balancing on the character's head in the shape of an illuminated Christmas tree.
