Beauty & The Geeks: Who’s Behind Paris Hilton’s Viral Video Featuring Israeli ‘Science’?

When one of America’s most famous reality TV stars collaborates with leading Israeli scientists on a “major breakthrough,” you have to wonder if it’s just another case of fake news.

In a press release issued yesterday, three days before April Fools’ Day, the Paris Hilton Institute of Plastic Pollution Solutions (PHIPPS) announced a partnership with the Weizmann Institute of Science to advance efficient hydration through the use of nanotechnology. They call their “groundbreaking, world-changing discovery” NanoDrop.

In a video accompanying the press release Paris Hilton claims the innovation “will reinvent drinking forever.”

The idea behind NanoDrop sounds too good to be true: You carry around “NanoDrop” water (one nano-drop is equal to 5,000 regular water drops) in a tiny reusable bottle, reducing plastic bottle use, and therefore your carbon footprint.

SEE ALSO: Israeli Scientists Harvest Drinking Water From Air

“Years ago, I learned that the plastic we throw away is killing innocent, beautiful sea creatures. I knew I had to do something,” Hilton, the 36-year-old hotel heiress, said in a statement. “Working with the Weizmann Institute has been a great collaboration resulting in today’s announcement. I couldn’t be more proud.”

Weizmann Institute’s Prof. Ron Naaman, an expert in molecular electronics, also appears in the video, though one can’t be totally sure that his tongue isn’t firmly planted in his cheek when he calls Hilton’s NanoDrop “groundbreaking and unexpected.”

A SodaStream promotion?

The NanoDrop website, which appears to be a spoof, calls the product “the greatest invention since man invented drinking.”

Lending support to the theory that the whole report was just a joke – or a campaign promo – Israel Hayom reported earlier this week that Paris Hilton will be taking part in a new campaign for Israel-based beverage company, SodaStream. The report also said that SodaStream filmed a commercial with Hilton in Los Angeles earlier this month.

SEE ALSO: Made In Israel: SodaStream Now Proudly Labels Its Products With The Israeli Flag

Sources tell NoCamels that the collaboration between the Weizmann Institute and Paris Hilton in the video project is part of a global SodaStream campaign to raise awareness of world pollution caused by plastic bottles and that the full campaign will go live in the coming days.

Time will tell if this viral video of Hilton is just a promo to a SodaStream ad campaign. It wouldn’t be surprising, though, since SodaStream is experienced with celebrity ads. A few years ago the company ran a SuperBowl spot featuring Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson.

So what if NanoDrop is not real? At least they managed to get our attention.

Photos and video: Weizmann Institute of Science, NanoDrop, SodaStream