It’s not uncommon to read a news story and wonder if you're reading the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. But although The Mail on Sunday scoop last weekend that luxury car brand Mercedes had agreed a deal with Wayne Rooney sounded rather bizarre, the story seemed solid enough.
According to The Mail on Sunday a spokesperson for Rooney said ‘I can confirm Wayne has just completed an initial two-year deal with Mercedes’.
And according to the paper – a ‘source at Mercedes’ also confirmed the deal, ‘We very much wanted Wayne to be the face of the brand. Mercedes will set Wayne up as an icon with their cars. There is an option in the contract for him to feature in some adverts’.
But today, on further investigation we find that Mercedes is denying any association with the Manchester United and England star. He won’t, they say, appear in any ads, be paid a penny or have any official association the brand. He is simply a satisfied customer.
So, what’s going on? An elaborate PR stunt by Mercedes? Disigenous reporting by The Mail on Sunday?
