In recent years, Bob Ross’s “The Joy of Painting” tutorials have gained popularity with young audiences looking for ways fun ways to relax at home.

Sadly, Bob Ross isn’t around anymore – he died in 1995. But that didn’t stop Mountain Dew from featuring him in a commercial.

If that sounds confusing, it’s because it is. Here’s the deal: thanks to the wonders of modern deepfake technology, combined with the talents of a prosthetics team, actor, and painter, Bob Ross “appears” in a new Mountain Dew Commercial. A 15-second teaser shows “Bob” painting a bottle of Mountain Dew in a scenic landscape setting – only to pull it out of the painting a take a drink.

As part of the marketing campaign, Mountain Dew plans to premiere a “lost episode” on March 6, showing a long-form tutorial where “Bob” walks us through painting “Dew-inspired scenic canvas.” The campaign also includes 15-second and 30-second video TV spots, partnerships with TikTok influencers to conduct giveaways of limited edition paintkits, and more.

The move creatively capitalizes on nostalgic associations and speaks relevantly to audiences facing lockdown boredom.

For more information about deepfakes, check out our post “The spread of the deepfake.”