Great new Volt commercial (for all EVs)

[SanDust]

Just got the link to this commercial. Posted by the actress who appears at the end of the commercial, it's for the Volt but it would work for any EV. It stands the oft-stated concern about range anxiety and "running out of battery" on its head by introducing the metaphoric concern (panic?) about running out of oil and high gas prices. (Would have worked for the Leaf but the setting would probably have to be more urban).

http://www.youtube.com/user/chloezak84#p/a/u/1/7sv1D19_JgU" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

For those GM haters out there you can solace in the fact that the commercial was done independently for the Barcelona Film Festival.

 

[adric22]

An interesting commercial. But I don't really see the point. Essentially they are comparing a gas vehicle running out of gas, to another vehicle which is most likely running on gas while out in the middle of nowhere. So what is the difference?

 

[surfingslovak]

For those GM haters out there you can solace in the fact that the commercial was done independently for the Barcelona Film Festival.

Very cool ad, less preachy than the previous ones.

 

[tps]

This commercial makes a completely valid point by depicting a gas power vehicle running out of fuel with no gas stations in sight. Range anxiety comes not because of the quantity of fuel the vehicle can hold, but because the vehicle cannot make it to a refueling point. Driving an EV requires some planning, because the charging infrastructure is in its infancy. When quick chargers and L2 (and even L1) are deployed appropriately, range anxiety will be a thing of the past.

The lady, like today's prudent EV drivers, obviously had a better plan for navigating through the wasteland without running out of fuel.

 

[Smidge204]

Pros: Actually displayed the vehicle (something not all GM commercials have done), Showed the vehicle in motion, albeit briefly (something even fewer GM commercials have done), No confusing dialog.

Cons: No mention of: a) Electric range capability, b) Performance, c) Features, d) Any reason at all to prefer a Volt over any other type of vehicle, actually! The content of the commercial is seemingly irrelevant to selling vehicles as a whole.

Okay, so GM didn't produce it... but it's still not a very good car commercial. Might be tough to fit it into the time allowed, but here's my retake on the idea:

Two guys have pulled into an abandoned gas station while fleeing a zombie hoard. A quick glance at a map shows it's 15 miles to the nearest safe haven, but they're out of gas and the pumps are completely dry. As the zombies are almost upon them, the cute girl in a Chevy Volt pulls up. "There's no gas anymore." They drive off to safety. Outro narration: "The 2012 Chevrolet Volt - up to 40 miles of gas-free, all electric driving and 37 miles per gallon for as far as you need to go."

This won the competition? I'd like to see what they were up against.

This commercial makes a completely valid point by depicting a gas power vehicle running out of fuel with no gas stations in sight. Range anxiety comes not because of the quantity of fuel the vehicle can hold, but because the vehicle cannot make it to a refueling point.

Which is different from a Volt... how, exactly? There is nothing to suggest that running out of gas was in any way related to poor planning, nor that the Volt lady did any of her own. If you have to impose your own meaning then the commercial did a piss-poor job at conveying one.
=Smidge=

 

[Nubo]

Definitely a point to be made -- when there's simply no gasoline available the range of most cars drops to zero. A bit of 1970's history that I'd be exploring if I were working on LEAF ads.

 

[GaslessInSeattle]

I don't understand why they are not capitalizing on the thing that has people freaked out the most... The price of gas. I have yet to see a commercial emphasize the one thing that has universal appeal, how cheap it is to "fill up" with electrons!

Show a gas pump vs electric meter and the average saving, trumping up the power of competition to tame gas prices, the breaking up of the big oil monopoly...Everybody wins!

Come on GM, Nissan and others, play ball!

 

[Nubo]

I don't understand why they are not capitalizing on the thing that has people freaked out the most... The price of gas. I have yet to see a commercial emphasize the one thing that has universal appeal, how cheap it is to "fill up" with electrons!

Show a gas pump vs electric meter and the average saving, trumping up the power of competition to tame gas prices, the breaking up of the big oil monopoly...Everybody wins!

Come on GM, Nissan and others, play ball!

I'd also show a pile of a billion "dollar bills" which we give daily to foreign countries for petroleum, and compare it to the "pile" we send to foreign countries for our electricity.

But, I imagine Nissan is holding back on LEAF advertising until the American plant is about to come online, if their current production is already spoken for.

 

[Smidge204]

Found the other entries.

http://mofilm.com/competitions/barcelona2012/index.html?v=5

I think the "Range Anxiety Anonymous" one is better, even if it's extremely derisive towards pure EVs.

Edit: I wonder if "Range Anxiety" was a requirement for the entries? Or has GM's marketing managed to implant that notion so firmly into Volt proponent's psyche that the top 5 of the reported 43 entries all featured it as their focal point? (Assuming the Zombie one counts too...)
=Smidge=

 

[Yodrak]

And time anxiety will come to the fore. Even for 'quick' chargers, which are quick only with respect to L1 and L2.

When quick chargers and L2 (and even L1) are deployed appropriately, range anxiety will be a thing of the past.

 

[TimeHorse]

Fascinating. I like it, but if you want a realistic one, he're me last year in my ICE.

EXT: U.S. Patent Office, Night

TIMEHORSE is standing outside the Patent Office, about to get into his 2001 Toyota Avalon.

TIMEHORSE
Thanks guys! Great EVent!

TimeHorse gets into his car.

CUT TO

INT: Avalon Car, Night

The Gas meter is in the red.

VO: TIMEHORSE
Dang!

CUT TO

INT: Closeup on GPS

TimeHorse fires up his GPS. The time on the GPS reads 10:05 pm. A map of Alexandria, VA comes up. He carefully plots a course to the nearest gas station.

CUT TO

EXT: Gas Station 1, Night

TimeHorse pulls into the gas station. It's dark and the pumps are dead.

TIMEHORSE
Damn!

CUT TO

INT: Closeup of GPS

He plots a course to the next nearest gas station.

CUT TO

EXT: Gas Station 2, Night

The car pulls into the station. A sign on the door says Closed.

VO: TIMEHORSE
Arg!

CUT TO

EXT: Gas Station 3, Night

The car is outside another closed gas station.

VO: TIMEHORSE
Sacinfrackin...!

CUT TO

EXT: Gas Station 1, Night

The car is back at the first station.

VO: TIMEHORSE
Son of a...!

CUT TO

EXT: U.S. Patent Office, Night

CAPTION
One Year Later

TIMEHORSE
Thanks guys! Great EVent!

TimeHorse gets into CO2 Fre his 100% Electric Nissan LEAF. The meter only has 1 bar.

CUT TO

INT: Closeup, LEAF Navigation Screen

TimeHorse presses the navigation screen; the time reads 10:05 pm. He navigates to find nearby charging stations. None are in range. He then does a general search for any business. The address of Gas Station 1 comes up. He selects that.

CUT TO

EXT: Gas Station 1, Night

The station is again dark and closed. TimeHorse's LEAF pulls into the station and drives to the side of the building. He finds an electrical outlet, pulls his Nissan EVSE out of the trunk and plugs in.

CUT TO

EXT: Closeup on TimeHorse

There's a big smile of satisfaction on his face as he leans comfortable against his car. The ANNONUCER's voice is heard over the image.

VO: ANNOUNCER
The 100% Electric Nissan LEAF. Because plugs are more common than pumps.

-----

Of course, we downplay that TimeHorse has to sit there for an hour just to go 6 more miles.

 

[GaslessInSeattle]

Most people are deterred by their experience with slow charging batteries in consumer electronics. DC fast chargers are much faster than most people expect them to be and that stands to impress a lot more folks than L1 or L2.

And time anxiety will come to the fore. Even for 'quick' chargers, which are quick only with respect to L1 and L2.

When quick chargers and L2 (and even L1) are deployed appropriately, range anxiety will be a thing of the past.

 

[Yodrak]

We're not talking about consumer electronics, we're talking about automobiles. The comparison isn't with how long it takes to charge a cellphone or a laptop, the valid comparison is with how long it takes to fuel a vehicle.

Right now, range anxiety overwhelms other 'cons' associated with EVs, but if that anxiety is successfully dealt with then the current #2 will become #1. Some people will be satisfied that a quick charger is faster than a L1 or L2 charger, and won't mind that it's still significantly slower than a gas pump. For many other people, time means everything - witness those drivers who risk their lives, and yours and mine, to get where they're going 1 or 2 minutes sooner by driving 70-75 when the speed limit is 60. (There have been more than a few threads that have noted how common impatient drivers are, yes?)

Most people are deterred by their experience with slow charging batteries in consumer electronics. DC fast chargers are much faster than most people expect them to be and that stands to impress a lot more folks than L1 or L2.

And time anxiety will come to the fore. Even for 'quick' chargers, which are quick only with respect to L1 and L2.

When quick chargers and L2 (and even L1) are deployed appropriately, range anxiety will be a thing of the past.

 

[SanDust]

Found the other entries.

Cool. I think you're right. Range anxiety was the theme for the competition.

Completely disagree the other ad is better. All the other ads are so predictable -- you're range limited with a battery. That's a snooze. What's so great about "Zombie" is that it reverses the point in a completely unexpected way by pointing out the panic most people feel as we run out of cheap oil and gas prices rise. Absolutely unpredictable and therefore memorable and brilliant.

In a humorous way it captures how it feels to be free from oil. Could be an ad for a Leaf or a Tesla or any EV. All the other ads are only Volt ads.

 

[Smidge204]

Completely disagree the other ad is better. All the other ads are so predictable -- you're range limited with a battery. That's a snooze. What's so great about "Zombie" is that it reverses the point in a completely unexpected way by pointing out the panic most people feel as we run out of cheap oil and gas prices rise. Absolutely unpredictable and therefore memorable and brilliant.

But by doing that, they completely undermined the entire point of the Volt.

Car runs out of gas. Another car comes along and gives them a ride.

Note that any can could be substituted in this "commercial" and the entire sequence still works fine. It's not at all clear how or why the Volt "says no to range anxiety." There is no mention, and nothing to even suggest, that the Volt gets better fuel economy or would otherwise have been able to drive farther than the other car. The slogan is not supported by the scenario or symbolism in any way. (I'd argue there wasn't even any real symbolism at all, actually.)

Using only specific scenes or occurrences in the clip, please explain to me how the Volt "says no to range anxiety" in the context of another car running out of gas. It just makes no sense to me. If I'm anxious about running out of gas I don't think driving a Volt is going to alleviate it.
=Smidge=

 

[GaslessInSeattle]

We're not talking about consumer electronics, we're talking about automobiles. The comparison isn't with how long it takes to charge a cellphone or a laptop, the valid comparison is with how long it takes to fuel a vehicle.

Right now, range anxiety overwhelms other 'cons' associated with EVs, but if that anxiety is successfully dealt with then the current #2 will become #1. Some people will be satisfied that a quick charger is faster than a L1 or L2 charger, and won't mind that it's still significantly slower than a gas pump. For many other people, time means everything - witness those drivers who risk their lives, and yours and mine, to get where they're going 1 or 2 minutes sooner by driving 70-75 when the speed limit is 60. (There have been more than a few threads that have noted how common impatient drivers are, yes?)

Certainly until we have 5 minute capacitor charging or 1,000 mile batteries there will be a sector of the market that won't budge, but I would argue that there are a lot of folks who would be wowed by
Quick charging, on the occasion they would have to rely on it. Most people have no idea it's possible and are instead held back by assumptions that their experience with charge rate and battery longevity of consumer electronics is indicative of the limits of electric vehicles.

 

[Nubo]

There is a change in outlook that comes with the admitted limitations of a sub-100 mile EV.

More planning for a trip
Taking byways instead of expressways
Becoming acutely aware of the effect of driving style on efficiency
Allowing more time for longer journeys

Not all of this is objectionable. In some ways it's like going back to a more relaxed time when the journey was part of the fun (or maybe most of the fun) of getting there. Rte 66? Blue Highways? The choices are still there. One man's insufferable delay is another man's liberation.

 

[SanDust]

Using only specific scenes or occurrences in the clip, please explain to me how the Volt "says no to range anxiety" in the context of another car running out of gas. It just makes no sense to me. If I'm anxious about running out of gas I don't think driving a Volt is going to alleviate it.

You're asking me to explain why a joke is funny, which is hard because normally you get the joke or you don't. Basically if you can drive electric you don't need gas and it doesn't matter if you "run out of gas". If you want to be literal then the point would be that you can run out of gas just like you can run out of battery -- all cars have range anxiety. Or you can take it more metaphorically that we're running out of gas and high gas prices means we can't drive like we want to. In this case gas electric drive represents freedom from high gas prices or gas shortages.

 

[Smidge204]

Basically if you can drive electric you don't need gas and it doesn't matter if you "run out of gas". If you want to be literal then the point would be that you can run out of gas just like you can run out of battery -- all cars have range anxiety. Or you can take it more metaphorically that we're running out of gas and high gas prices means we can't drive like we want to. In this case gas electric drive represents freedom from high gas prices or gas shortages.

It's not that I'm asking you you explain the joke so much as I'm suggesting you're seeing something that isn't actually there.

What part of that commercial lets you know that the Volt can run on electricity? They never demonstrate or mention it.

How does the Volt tackle range anxiety? There is nothing to suggest it can drive farther (and in fact, at an EPA labeled 379 miles of total range, it can't).

There is no way to substantiate the metaphor for high gas prices. That interpretation is left entirely to the viewer, which means if that's the "point" of the commercial it's basically one big in-joke. The purpose of a commercial is to educate and persuade, and you're not going to do that if your target audience is people already knowledgeable and persuaded! Maybe if they dropped some subtle hints, like one of the zombies was wearing some gas station overalls and another has a pump nozzle still in its hand - at least then the zombies (a bad thing) would be conceptually linked with gasoline (to be associated with bad things).

The "cleverness" of this commercial in your eyes relies entirely on what you already know and feel about the Volt. That may make for a witty short film but a terrible commercial. You're seeing what you want to see in much the same way that people see the face of Jesus in their grilled cheese sandwiches.
=Smidge=

 

[SanDust]

What part of that commercial lets you know that the Volt can run on electricity? They never demonstrate or mention it.

How does the Volt tackle range anxiety? There is nothing to suggest it can drive farther (and in fact, at an EPA labeled 379 miles of total range, it can't).

There is no way to substantiate the metaphor for high gas prices. That interpretation is left entirely to the viewer, which means if that's the "point" of the commercial it's basically one big in-joke.

When the woman drives up in the car the sound track cuts out and you hear .... nothing except the window rolling down. That's the cue for you to figure out it's electric.

If you don't have any gas the Volt can drive a long way on electricity. If you want to be literal there are plenty of Volt owners who have driven far more EV miles than most here.

As for being one big joke, that's exactly the point, down to the cool and hot and totally relaxed woman rescuing the guys. Convention is stood on its head.

A sense of humor is a hard thing to find! :lol: