Sumitomo "Wallace & Gromit" (Unresurfaced Japanese 2001 Advert)

Because of Wallace & Gromit's sucess and popularity, including in other countries, in Japan they had a deal with Sumitomo Life, an insurance firm in which they gave you free gifts when you took out insurance with them, and with Wallace & Gromit it was assumedly such Wallace & Gromit-related gifts as the one featured on the right. This deal also resulted in a televsion advert, which was obviously only aired in Japan, where Wallace & Gromit would showcase what Sumitomo Life insures you for.

The advert in question had the two riding on their motorbike with a stunt team of sheep ala "A Close Shave". They hit a tortoise, which bears a striking resemblance to Frank the Tortoise from Creature Comforts (another Aardman/Nick Park creation) and they all fall off but then land again in a vertical line with Wallace and Gromit on top, Shaun at the bottom steering and the tortoise on Wallace's head serving as a helmet.

The ad has not been rereleased or reuploaded onto the internet since, and the only remnant of it out there currently is a single-second clip used on the Behind the Scenes features of the Cracking Contraptions DVD (possibly the "Cracking Contraptions: Behind The Scenes" featurette). It remains as possibly the only Wallace & Gromit animation piece that hasn't been reaired, rereleased or reuploaded to the general public at all since its initial showing.