A provocative pun, a hefty Super Bowl buy and a focus on humor proved the right recipe for Ram’s EV campaign earlier this year. The automaker homed in on “range anxiety,” one of the top fears for drivers worried about switching to electric, in the push from Highdive.
Special Report: Global Automotive Marketing Awards
How Ram’s provocative campaign boosted EV interest
Ram is a 2024 Global Automotive Marketing Awards winner for best EV campaign
Ram targeted “range anxiety” around EVs.
Credit:
Ram
In a 60-second spot reminiscent of a pharmaceutical ad, the brand called out “Premature Electrification” to market the long-running performance of its electric Ram 1500 REV pickup truck.
“Are you excited about buying an electric vehicle, but worried that it could leave you unsatisfied?” a man in the spot asks. “Then you could be one of many Americans concerned about premature electrification.”
The spot, which directs viewers to the brand’s website, RamREV.com, ran in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl. The campaign included social media and pamphlets handed out at the Chicago Auto Show, as well as stickers posted to EV charging stations.
Ram said a waitlist with paid reservations for the Ram 1500 REV sold out five days after the spot aired. The brand and Highdive also cited the highest web traffic in four years with 1.4 million site visits and earned media coverage of more than 2,000 articles garnering 3.8 billion impressions.
FINALISTS
Hyundai Motor America, “Choose Yours”
Entrant: Culture Brands
Hyundai Motor America’s “Choose Yours” campaign capitalized on a popular “pick a card” trend on TikTok. The work from Culture Brands aimed to showcase how customers can customize options for electric cars to fit their lifestyles by depicting a couple choosing between the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6. Hyundai and Culture Brands said the campaign resulted in more than 500 million impressions and boosted familiarity within Hyundai’s African American customer segment.
Volkswagen’s campaign incorporated inspiration from the original 1960s Microbus.
Credit:
Volkswagen Group of America
Volkswagen Group of America, “ID Buzz”
Entrant: Johannes Leonardo
To unveil Volkswagen Group of America’s new all-electric Microbus, Johannes Leonardo went retro. The campaign incorporated inspiration from the original iconic 1960s bus in a series of outdoor ads showcasing the new ID Buzz three-row electric bus.
The campaign increased ID Buzz searches, email signups and site visits in a halo effect that the brand says extended to other vehicles in the Volkswagen portfolio.
The 2024 Global Automotive Marketing Awards, a program created and run by Ad Age and Automotive News, is sponsored by TikTok and Experian. For more information about the program, please visit AdAge.com/AutoAwards.
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