Classical music and gunpowder have a relationship stretching back at least to the 1812 Overture, but even so, violins haven't typically been the go-to instruments for advertisements of firearms.
Benelli, an Italian manufacturer best known for its M3 shotgun widely used by SWAT teams, has just released a new 12-gauge shotgun it calls ETHOS: "classic form married to modern design."
As part of its advertising campaign, Benelli has created a video advertisement featuring an elegant string duo who wouldn't be out of place in a concert hall. "The perfect balance of art and technology," murmurs a voiceover, "that was once an idea...has become an ETHOS." Strings also appeared under ETHOS auspices at the Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show in Las Vegas earlier this month.
As of posting time, I've not yet received a reply to a January 17 e-mail requesting an interview with a Benelli representative.
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