Rothco, part of Accenture Interactive, and BASF Show How Electric Vehicles Can Be Even More Sustainable

From reducing our CO2 emissions to contributing to a more sustainable society, there’s plenty to love about electric vehicles. But, with game-changing innovation, there’s always so much more we can achieve. 

As one of the world’s most innovative companies, BASF develops solutions that address the planet’s biggest challenges and enhance our everyday lives. A leading producer of energy vehicle (EV) battery materials, BASF is innovating new technologies for battery recycling, improved reach, better charging times, as well as researching alternative materials for next generation batteries.   

Looking to engage the world with BASF and highlight the company’s passion for sustainable innovation, Rothco, part of Accenture Interactive, has created a campaign that showcases all there is to love about e-mobility. Through a series of real life - and wonderfully human - stories, the global ‘We Love EVs’ campaign introduces audiences to some of the world’s most passionate electric vehicle fans. It shows how BASF’s battery materials team is working to address climate change and conserve natural resources, from sourcing through production to recycling. 

Rothco, part of Accenture Interactive, worked with production company Nice Shirt and director Matt Houghton to craft three hero films that focus on the importance of collaboration, cooperation, and human connection, whilst simultaneously showcasing BASF’s mission to make electric battery materials for EVs even more sustainable and effective. 

The first film tells the story of racing driver Hernan Bradas, who is carrying on his father’s legacy by building a fully electric racing car named the ‘eBaquet’ - the first of its kind. The second follows husband and wife team, Steve and Audrey Clunn who, since 1996, have worked to make a difference in the world by converting cars and pick-up trucks to electric vehicles. The third and final film follows father Lao Qian as he looks to reconnect with his son Xiao through a 2000km road trip across Tibet in his electric car. 

In addition to the three films, the campaign also tells the stories of people dedicated to their work in battery materials at BASF. All the stories will be hosted on the BASF campaign website.

The global, digital-only campaign is now live in nine languages across the US, China, and 12 European countries. All content directs audiences to the “We Love EVs” website, allowing readers to find out more about BASF’s innovation and work in the area of e-mobility. 

John McMahon, creative director at Rothco, part of Accenture Interactive, comments: Torlogh [O’Boyle, Creative Director] and I got pretty excited when we heard about an electric vehicle brief for BASF, even more so when it emerged that electric vehicles also have more sustainability challenges than people think! BASF are making them much more sustainable with their work on the battery materials. We then hit on a simple, human way into the brief. We’d take the love that pretty much everybody has for electric vehicles and use it as a classic communicational Trojan horse to smuggle through the more technical messages. Nice Shirt Films found us some brilliant stories to work with and Matt Houghton’s directorial vision brought them beautifully to life. We believe we’ve transcended the complexity of the brief to deliver three films of warmth and power.”

Carol Sizmur, global corporate advertising manager at BASF, adds: “We have a huge focus on sustainability at BASF, but communicating that to the public can be a challenge. Our innovations and products aren’t easily explained. They often require specialist or technical knowledge for people to grasp how useful they are. That’s why we were delighted with the ‘We Love EVs’ concept – a campaign rooted not in scientific detail but in human emotion. It’s a perfect platform to connect with our audience on a different level and show the real people and passion behind the technology that is making EVs more sustainable. We love the films Rothco | Accenture Interactive have made with Nice Shirt and this campaign will go a long way towards shedding light on what we do and helping people engage with our brand.”