Lewis Hamilton and Eric André Team Up in Perplexity’s New Comedy Short

While Lewis Hamilton is used to being in the driver’s seat, the seven-time Formula 1 champion trades control for comedy in Perplexity’s latest film.

The AI search startup has teamed up with Hamilton and comedian Eric André for an original short directed by London-based Sata Studios.

The result is a fast-paced, humorous exploration of curiosity, awkwardness, and connection, making for a distinctly human take from a company known for artificial intelligence.

“As the new kids on the block, this project was a huge moment for us,” said Luke Thompson-Allen, co-founder and director at Sata Studios.

“Massive thanks to Perplexity, Lewis, and Eric for believing in our vision and trusting us to deliver.”

Sata Studios, a Black-owned production company founded by Thompson-Allen, Steven Amoh, and Matthew Sojole, was chosen for its distinct cultural perspective.

“It’s awkward, it’s tense, it’s comic gold,” said Amoh.

“Eric is naturally hilarious, but Lewis’s ability to improvise and play off his humor brought real chemistry to set.”

The campaign marks Perplexity’s second original short, following its March 2025 film starring Squid Game actor Lee Jung-jae.

Together, these projects display Perplexity's brand marketing strategy, establishing the company as both a search tool and a storyteller that celebrates creativity and intelligence in equal measure.

Where Humor Meets Curiosity

Titled The Garage, the short opens with Hamilton and André locked in an absurd exchange that spirals from confusion to laughter.

As Hamilton tunes up his friend's vehicle, the comedian turns up and helps him out, using Perplexity to find out what a "T Handle" is. 

André confidently declares himself a bike expert after volunteering to be Hamilton’s “personal pit pal.”

Hamilton decides to test him — and at first, André nails every answer. That is, until he’s caught reading straight from the Perplexity app, leaving Hamilton’s garage embarrassed.

It’s a lighthearted depiction of what Perplexity stands for: searching, learning, and laughing along the way.

Notably, the project also reinforces how celebrity marketing and popular faces like Hamilton and André can humanize complex technologies.

The short doesn’t explain Perplexity, it demonstrates it.

And for a company that soared from a $500 million to being valued at $9 billion at year-end, that confidence feels earned. 

What We Can Learn from Perplexity’s Comedic Short

Perplexity's new campaign is a lesson on how to humanize tech storytelling.

• Comedy can disarm skepticism and make emerging technologies feel familiar, even fun.
• Partnering with culturally fluent creators like Sata Studios and sport celebrities deepens authenticity and community resonance.
• Releasing creative shorts builds long-term brand equity without feeling like traditional advertising.

Similar approaches have worked for other tech brands.

ChatGPT, for example, launched its first brand campaign to show how its AI chatbot can be used in daily life, whether the user's looking for getaway trip ideas or recipes to cook for loved ones. 

Our Take: Can Tech Be Funny?

We love it when a brand takes something as serious as AI and softens it with a story people can actually feel.

Perplexity’s short doesn’t sell search results or algorithms, it sells curiosity.

Watching Hamilton and André riff off each other is just the icing on the cake.

The lesson? If AI brands want trust, they’ll need to sound a little more human first.

Perplexity just figured out how to make that happen with a punchline.

In other news, Liquid Death recently turned its irreverent tone up another notch by teaming up with the “Running Man” film starring Colman Domingo. 

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