Ad agencies will eventually tire of fake documentary videos, we promise—but not before Optus has a chance to reveal that, yes, Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe's Thorpedo Pool Cleaning ad was a joke.
Specifically, it's part of Optus' "The Olympics for Small Business" campaign, which is giving Australian small businesses a chance to compete for four trips to Rio 2016.
Check out the original ad here.
There's also the reveal video below.
Yes, it turns out Thorpedo Pool Cleaning "founder" Thorpe doesn't take himself very seriously, which breathes a lot of vigor and fun into this whole thing. Referring to pool cleaning as "a natural progression in [his] career" and showing off the drawer containing his Olympic gold medals (and petty cash) are our favorite moments, and his pool shapes flashcard test is pretty great, too.
As always with ads like this, the reveal of what's actually being advertised is a little rocky, but it's worth it to see an Olympian make fun of himself for three minutes.