After four years of using the most-watched television program in the US to promote its electric vehicles, GM will not participate in the 2024 Super Bowl.
No GM-Netflix EV ads during the 2024 Super Bowl?
Who can forget General Motors’s Super Bowl commercial with Netflix and Will Ferrell last year?
The minute-long ad featured Ferrell going through various Netflix scenes while promoting EVs. The clip shows GM electric vehicles, including the Chevy Silverado EV, Blazer EV, Cadillac Lyriq, and GMC Hummer EV.
GM has used the platform to promote its upcoming EVs for the past four years. In 2020, GM teamed up with Lebron James to advocate for its GMC Hummer EV as a “Quiet Revolution.”
The following year, it was Will Ferrell again, explaining how Norway was “out-EV’ing” the US with its Ultium vehicles. It features the Cadillac Lyriq and GMC Hummer EV.
And then, in 2022, we saw GM promote its Ultium platform again with Austin Powers’ nemesis “Dr. EV-il.”
However, this year will be a different story. GM is not planning on advertising during the 2024 Super Bowl.
A GM spokesperson confirmed the decision to Automotive News affiliate Ad Age. The move comes after GM has gone from “all in” on EVs to pushing back new model launches.
CEO Mary Barra said GM is delaying the launch of the Equinox, Silverado RST, and GMC Sierra Denali EVs last month. Barra said GM is “taking immediate steps to enhance the profitability of our EV portfolio.” This includes “moderating the pace of our EV acceleration in 2024 and 2025.”
GM’s leader explained the decision was to “maintain strong pricing.” Honda also announced it was recently abandoning plans to build affordable EVs with GM.
Despite this, Barra says GM is in the middle of “strengthening” its EV business, and then it will accelerate further.
Electrek’s Take
Top comment by Dan B
Fact: I'm a GM guy and have been my entire life and sold GM vehicles for over 13 years. Fact: I've owned numerous non-GM vehicles from Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler, Ford, Mercury, Lincoln, Kia and VW (all new). I've also owned many different brands used. Fact: I now own/drive a 2023 Bolt EV and love it as I attain the equivalent of 189 MPG and 300+ miles range.
With that said, I could not be more disappointed in GM. All they truly want to do is sell huge SUV's and trucks powered by fuel. They could care less about nice cars (sedans), improving the MPG's on the corporate level or EV's unless it's the 100+ grand fat pig Hummers. If GM cared about EV's in a way that would make a difference in the world, they would be building a 2024 Bolt EV/EUV. They would advertise the heck out of them highlighting the real benefits and they would triple the sales. They would have a Chevy and Buick sedan EV sitting on showroom floors now along side the wonderful Malibu and they would promote/advertise the heck out of them. But no, we see nothing but trucks and huge SUV's being plastered on TV night after night. GM just doesn't care, so maybe it's time I stop caring about buying GM.
GM has already announced several initiatives to cut costs. Barra laid out a net $2 billion fixed cost program earlier this year and another “Winning with Simplicity” plan to improve efficiency.
The news also comes after the UAW and GM reached a record labor agreement that will result in a 25% base wage increase.
GM has struggled to ramp up production of its Ultium vehicles so far. The automaker showed some progress in Q3 with new models, including the Blazer EV and Silverado EV (WT) edition launching.
With several new models expected to begin rolling out next year, it looks like GM is putting its investments to better use.
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