Bentley viral-sensation model ‘proud to be Russian’

The luxury brand’s recent commercial has prompted a global wave of parodies

Russian model Alla Burletova, the star of a recent Bentley commercial that became a viral sensation, has declared herself “proud to be Russian.”

The ASMR video-style commercial, which gained huge traction globally, was commissioned by a Russian car dealership and released mid-summer. It features Burletova exploring a luxury Bentley car. She runs her nails over the car’s grille, turns its engine on, uses the turn signals, and places a glass into the cup holder.

The video promptly went viral, with #bentleygirl hashtag spreading like a wildfire across TikTok and yielding numerous parodies. The spin-off video commonly featured less-than-luxury cars, including old dilapidated jalopies and even armored military vehicles, while tiktokers who shot them parodied the model’s moves with not-so-glamorous activities, such as drinking vodka.

The model told the online outlet Mash that she was happy to receive such internet-wide recognition and was particularly proud that the original video was apparently widely watched overseas.

“I’m Russian and I’m proud of it, and now I’m somehow getting a worldwide reach. That’s cool,” Burletova told Mash, adding that she is now considering pursuing an acting career, which has been her “childhood dream.”