Hertz strikes major deal with Tesla that includes Tom Brady ads

Tesla—which avoids traditional advertising—is about to get a serious dose of mainstream marketing as a result of a new deal with Hertz that includes ads starring Tom Brady. The rental car brand today announced it has struck a deal to order 100,000 Teslas by the end of 2022, and will install thousands of chargers throughout its rental car network. The deal will expose Tesla to a potentially new audience of business and leisure travelers. But from a marketing perspective, the most noteworthy part of the arrangement is a new campaign starring Brady that is Hertz’s first work with the football superstar. The ads subtly plug Teslas. One ad called “Plugged in” shows the NFL star charging up next to a fleet of white Teslas. A second ad called “Speed” shows the quarterback losing his patience while making toast, walking a dog and waiting for an elevator until he gets the speed he wants via what is portrayed as a frictionless Tesla rental process. The ads, which use the tagline “Let’s Go,” include an original score from OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder. Agencies on the campaign include Blue Memo, Shadow Lion and FKQ. While Teslas are not explicitly plugged in the campaign, the ads will give the EV maker more traditional ad exposure than it is used to, in addition to the PR value of being part of a deal that includes Brady. Hertz’s media buy includes Hulu, YouTube, national cable, social media and digital ads. Access to 3,000 charging stations The deal represents the single-largest purchase ever for electric vehicles and should amount to about $4.2 billion of revenue for Tesla Inc., according to Bloomberg News, which cited unnamed sources familiar with the deal. Bloomberg also reported that while car-rental companies usually get big discounts, Hertz is paying close to list prices. Hertz states that customers renting Teslas will have access to 3,000 Tesla charging stations throughout the U.S. and Europe. The rental brand is also creating what it calls a “premium and differentiated rental experience for the Tesla EVs” that includes “digitized guidance to educate customers about the electric vehicle to get them on their way quickly” as well as “an expedited EV rental booking process through the Hertz mobile app.” In its announcement, Hertz cited a Pew finding that 40% of U.S. consumers say they are likely to consider an electric vehicle the next time they are in the market for a new vehicle. "Electric vehicles are now mainstream, and we've only just begun to see rising global demand and interest," said Hertz interim CEO Mark Fields. "The new Hertz is going to lead the way as a mobility company, starting with the largest EV rental fleet in North America and a commitment to grow our EV fleet and provide the best rental and recharging experience for leisure and business customers around the world." Register for Ad Age Next: CMO at AdAge.com/NextCMO.

Hertz strikes major deal with Tesla that includes Tom Brady ads

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