You Can't Make This Stuff Up!

[Lee Stewart]

In one episode of TV show Friends, Rachel pretends her new apothecary table from Pottery Barn is actually a flea market find. The episode had a huge impact on sales for the furniture brand; one executive described it as "the gift that keeps on giving" as, allegedly, "phones light up with catalog requests every time it airs in syndication." Not bad considering the company didn't pay a penny to be featured. In July 2019 Pottery Barn launched a Friends Collection, complete with apothecary table.

[Lee Stewart]

Sideways had a surprisingly large impact on the California wine industry when it was released in 2004. One of the main characters, played by Paul Giamatti, often talks about his love of Pinot Noir. In the months following the film's release, sales of Pinot Noir shot up by 22%. In contrast, Merlot, which gets a negative mention in the Oscar-winning comedy, saw a sales dip of 2%.

[Lee Stewart]

Pontiac spent a reported $4 million in order to get its Solstice model in an episode of the American version of The Apprentice. Contestants on the reality show were tasked with designing a brochure for the car, and the episode also included a 60-second ad that offered 1,000 viewers the chance to be among the first to own the car. All 1,000 models were assigned within just 41 minutes, with thousands more people added to a waiting list.

[Lee Stewart]

The Lego Movie (2014) is basically an hour and a half of product placement for the iconic toy brand. While details surrounding the deal with Warner Bros remain unclear, Lego certainly benefited. The company saw profits increase 15% in the year following the movie's release, with total sales reaching a record $3.4 billion.

[Lee Stewart]

Barbasol shaving cream was featured in a pivotal scene in 1993's Jurassic Park, with a can being used to try and smuggle dinosaur embryos off the island. So, when Jurassic World was released in 2015, the company made sure to use the cameo to its advantage, launching special-edition Barbasol cans.

[Lee Stewart]

The original purpose of Area 51 was to develop the 1950s U2 Spy Plane for the CIA, which was capable of flying at 70,000 feet @ 500 MPH

[Lee Stewart]

Modifying your truck's suspension to either improve its function off-road or just improve the way the truck looks is not a new idea. It's been going for pretty much as long as there have been trucks to modify. What's less common is a vehicle manufacturer offering its own suspension modification kits to customers, but that's exactly what Ford's doing for the Ranger and F-150, according to an announcement made by the company on Wednesday.

The kits include new front coilover shocks from Fox -- which you may know as the supplier for the suspension on the totally amazing Ford Raptor -- that provide your truck with a 2-inch lift in the front, thereby removing the factory rake of the suspension. Sounds pretty simple, right? So what does the kit's lift translate to in off-road ability?

Well, both the Ranger and the F-150 benefit from improved front ground clearance, approach and breakover angles. Specifically, a Ranger owner will see an approximate 21% increase in approach angle and a 10% increase in breakover angle. An F-150 with a 145-inch wheelbase sees approximately a 22% increase in approach angle and a 7% increase in its breakover angle.

The Ford Performance leveling kits can be ordered through your Ford dealer and should fit any four-wheel drive 2015 to 2019 Ford F-150 or 2019 Ranger. Expect to pay $1,495 for the parts. Installation is, of course, extra.

[Lee Stewart]

Chevrolet Corvette C8 Rapid Blue

[m22mike]

Is it just me ? That color does not do the car justice.

[Mr70]

It's not you....but North & South Carolina will Love it.