Will Ferrell in ”No Way, Norway.”
Source: General Motors
Boy, this increased rapidly.
A Super Bowl advertising campaign featuring actor “Anchorman” Will Ferrell highlighted Norway as the world’s envy for adopting electric vehicles. An initial set of teasers released by General Motors Co. caught the eye of Prime Minister Erna Solberg, and now the country’s climate minister is inclined to exaggerate a little.
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“Norway is not the best at all in this world. But in EVs, we are really the best, ”Sveinung Rotevatn, who has been on the role for just over a year, told Bloomberg News in an interview. “There is no one who is even close to selling as many as we are.”
Norway became the first in the world to see electric cars seize the majority of annual vehicle sales last year, with consumers buying battery-powered Audi e-tron SUVs, Tesla Model 3 sedans and Nissan Leaf hatchbacks. December was a record month for EVs’ market share of 67%. The country wants all cars sold there to have zero emissions in 2025.
GM’s first videos starring Ferrell hating the Nordic nation for no apparent reason. In one, he makes a prank call to order 5 million anchovy pizzas across the country. Solberg tweeted her thanks a day later, although she asked the actor to send pineapple-topped pizzas instead and told her to make 5.4 million.
The reason for Ferrell’s hostility was revealed in full 90-second spot launched on Wednesday. The actor has a fit because Norway has sold far more electric vehicles per capita than the US and tells two other comedians, Kenan Thompson and Awkwafina, to join a Hummer and find it across the Atlantic. They ended up in Sweden and Finland by mistake.
A 60-second version will air during the first quarter of Sunday’s Super Bowl as GM’s last offer to raise awareness of its EV efforts. Detroit-based automaker budgeted $ 27 billion in battery and autonomous electric vehicles and last month changed its corporate logo for the first time in almost six decades to better emphasize its focus on electrification. LeBron James and the Electric Hummer starred in the company’s announcement in the Super Bowl last year.
Rotevatn, a fan of Ferrell and the roles he has played over the years, including Ron Burgundy, had fun with the GM commercial. Media, politicians and delegations from other countries were interested in how Norway convinced car buyers to adopt electricity. He believes EVs should have a competitive advantage in the form of favorable tax treatment.
“When we – a very rocky, very cold and very dispersed country were able to succeed with electric car policy, then it is obvious that this provides substantial ammunition for those in other countries who ask their authorities: Why can’t we do this? ”Rotevatn said.
While there is a political debate going on in Norway about how long the benefits of the electric car should last, there is consensus on at least one issue.
“As the Prime Minister,” said Rotevatn, “I prefer pineapple.”