How hard did they cringe, we wonder.
As part of German automaker Volkswagen’s squaring-away for defrauding the US Environmental Protection Agency on emissions-related data for several years, they’ve been compelled to devote a significant amount of their money to promoting electric mobility and increasing awareness around zero-emissions cars. That means a whole advertorial campaign talking about cars that plug-in and charge-up, including videos, like the one we’re featuring here.
Except, their own cars are nowhere to be seen. This is a stipulation within the the settlement clause, and so its subsidiary ‘Electrify America’ has gotten to work on improving electric vehicle awareness in a brand-neutral way. Some US$2-billion (AU$2.7-billion) of the settlement has been devoted to this specific task over a 10-year timeframe, and we imagine this television commercial is the first instalment of a slew of content from the firm.
Featuring in the video are cars that Volkswagen will be competing against once their I.D. family of electric cars are off the ground, like the new Nissan Leaf, BMW i3, and Honda Clarity. But the starring role in the film goes to the Chevrolet Bolt, which was used as the primary vehicle (pun intended) to demonstrate the various pros of electric motoring.
“We know that education and awareness are some of the most important elements to improving EV adoption. Chevrolet worked with Electrify America to provide vehicles for their advertising and outreach events, and we look forward to continuing to support growing customer enthusiasm for EVs.” — General Motors to Automotive News
We love how the advert, by Deutsch, used the theme songs from the classic ‘Flintstones’ and ‘Jetsons’ cartoons to provide the right sort of ambience for the internal combustion car, and the electric one. Let us know in the comments below if those hit you with a strong wave of nostalgia as it hit us.
For more information on Volkswagen, check out our Showroom.
