Past Meets Present in Deutsch's 'JetStones' Campaign for Electrify America

Today, Electrify America, a company investing in electric vehicle charging infrastructure and promoting the adoption of zero emission vehicles (ZEVs), launches its first-ever US advertising campaign leading into the fall television season. The integrated campaign kicks off with national TV broadcast, radio, and a website. 

The advertising spot, titled 'JetStones', aims to broaden consumer awareness of the advantages and availability of electric vehicles, plus a growing network of EV fast chargers in metropolitan areas, along highways, and in communities at workplaces and multiunit dwellings. 

Using the theme songs from two popular Warner Bros. Hanna-Barbera cartoons, 'The Jetsons' and 'The Flintstones', in the television and radio commercials, the campaign is a playful take on the transition of personal transportation from the Stone Age to the reality of electric vehicles available today. The advertising spot features electric vehicles from six different car manufacturers to showcase a wide variety of EVs available in today’s marketplace.

“Electric cars are not something of the future, they are here now and more accessible than many people know,” says Richard Steinberg, senior director, green cities, marketing and communications, Electrify America. “The JetStones campaign is just the beginning of our work to educate and demonstrate that electric vehicles offer a full array of features that customers expect, and they are totally fun to drive.”

The brand-neutral campaign, developed with creative agency Deutsch, will run nationally through June 2019. The advertisement was directed by Matt Piedmont, an award-winning film director and writer. The TV commercial was developed, cast, filmed and produced in Southern California.

“This is the first expression of a new movement to break down myths about electric vehicles,” says Guto Araki, EVP, executive creative director at Deutsch. “We tapped into iconic theme songs from the fan-favourites The Flintstones and The Jetsons as a way to connect the past to the present, and to send the message that the future is electric.”

The campaign, which features the national TV and radio spots, is part of a $45 million education and public awareness initiative. Electrify America, a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group of America, is investing $2 billion over a 10-year period in zero emission vehicle (ZEV) infrastructure and awareness.