Auto giant Stellantis, through its business division Ram, officially debuted its Ram 1500 REV battery-electric truck in a Super Bowl advertisement. The ad also disclosed that the company has started accepting reservations for a “place in line to pre-order” the upcoming e-truck.
The Super Bowl is the most-watched broadcast of the year, with approximately 100 million viewers. Therefore, commercials cost a hefty price of between $6 million and $7 million for a 30-second spot during this week’s game.
Stellantis Super Bowl ad
The 60-second ad “Premature Electrification,” also made available online, ran at the start of the first fourth-quarter commercial break. Prominent actor Jason Jones is the pitchman in what appears to be another prescription medicine ad.
However, the narrative soon switches to another topic, underlining many Americans’ concerns regarding electric cars and outlining why Ram might well hold the key to the solution.
Interestingly, it is also a lighthearted dig at a specific pharmaceutical ad. Couples featured in the ad indirectly admitted their “satisfaction” concerns with their partners. Below is the script of the ad:
“Are you excited about buying an electric vehicle but worried that it could leave you unsatisfied? Then you could be one of many Americans concerned about premature electrification.”
Jason Jones
Concerns about payload, range, and power are just a few of the concerns the ad mentions, reflecting the kinds of issues that potential buyers of electric trucks would have. Entertainingly, the ad featured the Ram 1500 REV pickup truck as the solution to the “unsatisfaction” issues.
“It’s OK. Let’s put it on the table … and let’s talk about how Ram is going to have a better suite of solutions to meet our customers’ real-world needs, so when you put it all together I think it makes a lot of sense in a fun and lighthearted way.”
Ram brand CEO Mike Koval Jr.
Stellantis’ global chief marketing officer Olivier Francois also stated that the ad aims to connect with its clients and future truck owners to address their concerns about owning such a high-tech vehicle.
“As we open reservations today for a place in line to pre-order the all-electric Ram 1500 REV, we wanted to directly address any potential concerns about EV truck ownership using an approach that we believe will resonate with our truck-buying consumers.
The intent of the spot is to let our buyers know that we have listened to their concerns as part of our dialogue with them over the last several years as we prepare to introduce the all-electric Ram 1500 REV to the market in 2024.”
Olivier Francois, Stellantis’ global chief marketing officer
Ram 1500 REV pickup truck
The Ram 1500 REV pickup truck is set to launch in late 2024. The automaker claims it is the first truck to offer a 500-mile range between charges.
It is worth noting that Stellantis has a market cap of more than $50 billion. That said, paying for a costly ad for its highly anticipated offering in the EV industry is not a big surprise.
However, the fact that some of those trucks will undoubtedly be constructed with a significant amount of taxpayer funding is bizarre.
Stellantis to partner Samsung SDI for Battery Plant at Kokomo, Indiana
Stellantis released a statement in May 2022, which disclosed its $2.5 billion partnership with Samsung SDI to develop an EV battery production plant in Kokomo, Indiana. It will commence production in the first quarter of 2025 to “supply battery modules for a range of vehicles produced at Stellantis’ North American assembly plants.”
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) pledged to state incentives on the same day, reaching over $186 million in grants, tax credits, and site clearance. Additionally, the city and county provided 100% property tax exemptions valued at up to $1.175 billion over 20 years.
Nonetheless, that sum is only a small portion of the $2.5 billion Stellantis and Samsung invested in the project, which, over time, may rise to more than $3 billion.
