In a notable departure from its traditional stance against advertising, Tesla has made its foray into the world of promotional content with its inaugural YouTube ad. Discovered by social media users, the ad takes a unique approach by concentrating solely on Tesla’s commitment to safety, a crucial aspect amid increased scrutiny of the company’s safety systems.
The 30-second commercial serves as a pre-roll ad on select YouTube videos, showcasing a departure from conventional flashy car advertisements. Tesla’s ad underlines the company’s extensive data collection capabilities, emphasizing its status as the only automaker globally with a fleet of over a million fully instrumented cars on the road. The ad states, “We can know exactly where the seat is. We can know where the steering wheel is. We know when the airbag deployed exactly to the millisecond.”
Tesla YouTube Ad + link to website for a test drive. pic.twitter.com/qp9WAfACTL
— Trevor Scott 𝕏 (@Space_Taz) November 15, 2023
While the advertisement may lack the excitement often associated with car promotions, it effectively highlights Tesla’s focus on safety, particularly relevant during a period of increased scrutiny following Autopilot and Full Self-Driving-related incidents and regulatory investigations.
The 30-second clip includes a sponsored link, allowing interested customers to easily arrange a 30-minute test drive of a Model 3, Model S, or Model X.
Tesla’s move into advertising comes after CEO Elon Musk, who has previously expressed aversion to traditional advertising, hinted at the company exploring promotional avenues during this year’s annual meeting. Whether Tesla will expand its advertising efforts to television or continue with a focus on social media platforms remains to be seen.
Meanwhile in Japan… an entire wall of @Tesla ads at Haneda Airport Garden.$TSLA #TSLA @elonmusk #テスラ @teslamotorsjp https://t.co/jsABV4H8gA
— S.E. Robinson, Jr. (@SERobinsonJr) March 22, 2023
