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  1. Games
  2. Action
  3. Tomb Raider
  4. Rise of the Tomb Raider

Lara Croft's bizarre adventures outside of video games

Features
By Maxwell McGee published 3 November 2015

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Look to the Croft

Look to the Croft

Lara Croft was once the first lady of video games. While other mascots represented a single game or company, Lara epitomized '90s-era gaming as a whole. Her dual pistols, skimpy outfit, and cocksure attitude were the holy trifecta of escapist entertainment, promising Indiana Jones-style action with all the sex appeal that technology could squeeze out of 1996 hardware.

In her prime, Ms. Croft was poised to conquer the world. Her blocky visage started popping up everywhere. She appeared in comics, movies, had a street named after her, and was entered into The Guinness Book of World Records. Plus, she was one hell of a spokeswoman, hocking all kinds of wares, from credit cards to magazine subscriptions. These are some of our favorite examples of Lara's runaway popularity outside the realm of video games. Few others in our medium can claim such an eclectic list of accolades, sponsorships, and cameos.

Page 1 of 16
Page 1 of 16
Re\Visioned: Tomb Raider Animated Series

Re\Visioned: Tomb Raider Animated Series

This 10-part compilation of animated shorts did for Tomb Raider what The Animatrix did for The Matrix. Each episode was produced by a different artist/writer combo who bring their own distinct style to the world of Tomb Raider. Re\Visioned was released in 2007 via GameTap - an online gaming service that appears to be defunct now in all but name - but if you poke around YouTube you'll find a few intrepid users have excavated this series from the digital ruins.

Page 2 of 16
Page 2 of 16
She's a Guinness World Records holder

She's a Guinness World Records holder

At one point it seems Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider series held as many as six Guinness World Records, though today, Guinness' official website only recognizes two of them: "Best-selling videogame heroine" and "Most official real-life stand-ins for a videogame character." There's also an entry for "Largest collection of Tomb Raider memorabilia" held by Spanish collector Rodrigo Santos and his 2,383 pieces of Lara-related swag.

Page 3 of 16
Page 3 of 16
Angelina Jolie plays Lara in two movies

Angelina Jolie plays Lara in two movies

In a testament to Lara Croft's international popularity, two big-budget Hollywood movies were produced based on the Tomb Raider franchise. Angelina Jolie was cast in the leading role, and while popular opinion praised her portrayal of Ms. Croft, her acting prowess wasn't enough to rescue these movies from becoming a nonsensical mess. Both Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life received poor reviews, but they're still some of the best video game movies released yet (which really says something).

Page 4 of 16
Page 4 of 16
She's also an accomplished musician

She's also an accomplished musician

At some point in the mid-'90s, Dave Stewart - who's half of the French pop duo Eurythmics - met up with Rhona Mitra - a model and actress portraying Lara Croft in various ads at the time - to co-produce two concept albums about the famous archaeologist. Mitra recorded the lyrics for Lara Croft: Come Alive and Lara Croft: Female Icon in-character and - as the story goes - the recording studio itself was a boat sailing down the Amazon river. We'd expect nothing less from this globetrotting adventurer.

Page 5 of 16
Page 5 of 16
Lara Croft had a spot on the Walk of Game

Lara Croft had a spot on the Walk of Game

Created in 2005, the Walk of Game was the video game equivalent of Hollywood's Walk of Fame, honoring notable games, characters, and creators. Each entrant received his or her own custom floor tile featuring a little guy who looks suspicious like Commander Video from Bit.Trip Runner. However, in 2012, the area where the tiles were located was bought up by Target, who subsequently removed all those tacky stars. Who knows where they ended up.

Page 6 of 16
Page 6 of 16
There's a road in Lara's hometown named after her

There's a road in Lara's hometown named after her

Tomb Raider was originally developed by British developer Core Design, located in the city of Derby, England. In 2010, the citizens of Derby voted to name one of their new roads 'Lara Croft Way' in honor of their virtual hometown heroine. According to the BBC, Lara took home almost 90-percent of the vote, beating out an astronomer, a football star, and an engineer (all of whom are actual people).

Page 7 of 16
Page 7 of 16
She's been in several commercials, including Visa...

She's been in several commercials, including Visa...

See the commercial

I'm not sure how a Visa credit card is supposed to help you fight off a gargantuan, heavily armored monster, and because this commercial ends of a cliffhanger, I guess we'll never know.

Page 8 of 16
Page 8 of 16
...PlayStation...

...PlayStation...

See the commercial

Along with Crash Bandicoot and Sweet Tooth, Lara Croft was part of Sony's roving band of de facto PlayStation mascots. This particular commercial perpetuates the disgusting stereotype that every guy in the '90s had spiky hair.

Page 9 of 16
Page 9 of 16
...Pringles...

...Pringles...

See the commercial

In this extremely bizarre mashup of survival horror, Lara Croft, and (of all things) Pringles chips, our hero gets a completely out-of-character striptease from Ms. Croft for seemingly no reason after all seems lost. Jesus Christ, Pringles, if there's one thing I don't need to be while enjoying your product, it's titillated.

Page 10 of 16
Page 10 of 16
...G4 Media...

...G4 Media...

See the commercial

In a very postmodern move, G4 Media decided to present Lara not as an action star, but as just a normal, computer-generated human being with thoughts and feelings. This didn't make the commericals any less awkward, however.

Page 11 of 16
Page 11 of 16
...Sci-Fi Channel...

...Sci-Fi Channel...

See the commercial

Okay, while the whole Pong gag was played out even by late-'90s/early-2000s standards, Lara's sudden angry face does make me chuckle every time. Also, what's going on with Lara's butler in the background? Dude looks like a gargoyle.

Page 12 of 16
Page 12 of 16
...SEAT Auto...

...SEAT Auto...

See the commercial

Now this is your classic Lara Croft advert. I'm pretty sure that if you could summon a SUV out of thin air while playing the games, this brand awareness ability would've made Tomb Raider a lot easier. Also, if you're planning on jumping a lot of chasms in your vehicle, make sure you go with the SEAT Ibiza.

Page 13 of 16
Page 13 of 16
...Lucozade...

...Lucozade...

See the commercial

Lucozade - a UK-based brand of sports drink - saved Lara's neck a few time with the power of brand awareness. But are we really supposed to believe that, before venturing into an underground temple, Lara only packed a sports drink, energy bar, and some generic cola? No wonder those dogs are always chasing her - she's carrying a backpack full of snacks.

Page 14 of 16
Page 14 of 16
...and a used game store, or something

...and a used game store, or something

See the commercial

Your guess is as good as mine on this one.

Page 15 of 16
Page 15 of 16
Voodoo 5 graphics card

Voodoo 5 graphics card

See the HORROR

This video tears at my soul. I physically recoil from the screen, my chest tightening in apprehension of the horrors that are about to unfold - and they are many. Here we find some woman (who I'm confident is not being paid enough for this) delivering a new graphics card to what I assume is the winner of some contest. Mind-shattering levels of cringe-worthy discomfort ensue as the two spend what feels like an eternity together giving each other awkward hugs. The video ends with Lara fleeing in her jeep from this waking nightmare.

Page 16 of 16
Page 16 of 16
CATEGORIES
PC Gaming PlayStation Xbox Platforms
Maxwell McGee
Maxwell McGee
Maxwell grew up on a sleepy creekbank deep in the South. His love for video games has taken him all the way to the West Coast and beyond.
See more PC Gaming Features
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