Polestar’s Super Bowl ad takes jabs at Tesla and VW
Polestar is counting on a time-honored tactic to get noticed in an increasingly crowded electric car market: a brazen Super Bowl ad. Volvo’s sibling brand aired a 30-second spot for the Polestar 2 during Super Bowl 2022 that took some not-so-subtle potshots at competitors and industry hypocrisy at large. The commercial was dominated by “nos” that included “no dieselgate” (hi VW), “no conquering Mars” (ahem, Elon) and “no greenwashing.” The company wants you to see rivals as either distracted from their mission or using eco-friendly products as cover — a possible dig at oil companies that flaunt green credentials, among many other potential targets.
The ad came during a Super Bowl full of tech marketing, including a two-pronged strategy from GM that included a Sopranos-themed commercial for the Chevy Silverado EV as well as the return of Austin Powers‘ Dr. Evil to pitch GM’s electrification strategy. Other tech promos came from Meta (pitching the Quest 2 and Horizon Worlds), Uber, Intuit and a host of cryptocurrency exchanges.
Whether or not the ad leads to a surge in demand is far from certain. Polestar may have the weight of Volvo (and joint parent Geely) behind it, but it’s still a tiny newcomer compared to Tesla, VW and other incumbents. It’s also not quite clear the Polestar 2 offers “no compromises” when it’s not the fastest, longest-ranged or most capacious EV. Still, the Super Bowl ad might be effective if it at least gets customers to consider Polestar if they’re planning to ditch gas-powered transportation.
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