Waikato Police have been left red-faced after a social media post meant to tease their new unmarked vehicles was quickly uncovered thanks to a graphic blunder.
The photo was initially posted on the Waikato Police Facebook page on Wednesday. It showed the car parked alongside two marked police vehicles, but hidden and covered in black.
"Here is one of our new unmarked vehicles. I could show you but it would defeat the purpose," police wrote.
"Don't see a police vehicle around? We might just be there anyway. Anytime, anywhere, we are committed to keeping our community safe."
Within hours, a keen graphic editor on social media unveiled what the vehicle actually was - a Holden Equinox.
Rather than fully covering the car with black, it appears the brightness was lowered until it was almost indistinguishable. It meant the car was revealed when people put the photo into an editing software and boosted the brightness again.
The brightened image also revealed what the vehicle's licence plate was.
Police had announced the purchase of 24 Holden Equinox vehicles as new unmarked vehicles last July, further spoiling the surprise.
Waikato Police have since deleted the original post and put up a new one, with a face-palming emoji covering the blacked-out car.
"Well that may have been a fail," it wrote on Facebook today.
"But the message remains the same. Anywhere, anytime."
The blacked-out car in the revised image is still visible when the brightness is boosted, 1 NEWS can confirm.
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