Polestar Super Bowl ad 2022

The championship game of America’s National Football League (NFL) is without a doubt a huge deal (they don’t call it the Big Game for anything). Over the past decade, the event has drawn an audience of around 100 million each year. Game Day has millions of dedicated football fans ready to witness the championship final, while millions more tune in to watch what has become a cultural phenomenon in its own right: the ads.

This isn’t any given Sunday, however. These breaks are not considered interruptions to the excitement, but rather a continuation of it. Creating a one-of-a-kind opportunity to make an impact on a mass audience. And that’s what Polestar has set out to do, at this event and beyond. Spreading the message of more sustainable electric mobility as broadly as possible.

This is the first time Polestar advertises during such an internationally watched and recognized sporting event.

The ad centers around Polestar’s ethos of ‘no compromises’ and features the Polestar 2 electric performance fastback. As with its products, the spot will toss aside traditional expressions for big-game advertising.

Staying true to Polestar’s minimalist brand identity, the graphical ad is visually simple, allowing punchy words in white on black to share the message.

“The Super Bowl is an iconic event and I’m excited to bring Polestar’s message to such a wide audience,” says Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO. “We are a young and ambitious brand. We believe in ‘no compromises’, for our design language, our sustainability efforts, and the performance of our cars, and we wanted to share that philosophy with this ad. This is the perfect place to further raise awareness of our brand in the US, and beyond.”

The ad supports Polestar’s progress as it continues to drive growth in the coming years. In January 2022 the company announced that it delivered on its global sales target of 29,000 vehicles in 2021, representing year-on-year growth exceeding 185%.

There are many bold claims in the advert: No compromises. Because our planet demands real action.

No epic voiceovers
No punchlines
No dieselgate
No conquering Mars
No dirty secrets
No hidden agenda
No empty promises
No shortcuts
No settling
No greenwashing
No blah blah blah
No nonsense
No committees
No consensus
No compromises

Agreeing is easy. Challenging the status quo, however, is not. Driving progress means questioning conventions, old ways, and established methods. Saying no, in other words. No to time-wasting, no to smoke screens, and no to shortcuts. So when it comes to following the industry standard, it’s a no from us.

There’s strength in numbers, as the saying goes. Given the colossal audience, we knew we had to go.
Standing on the sidelines is not an option. Simply because we have a lot to say about industry thinking and ideas. And even more about the way forward.
No hidden agenda. Because transparency is the only way forward.
No empty promises. Because we turn our visions into reality.
No greenwashing. Because our words are set in stone.
No conquering Mars. Because Earth is our priority.
No compromises. Because our future is 100% electric.

Everyone can appreciate being met with agreement. The boost of affirmation, the collective pat on the back, and the ease of not being challenged. But to steer the automotive industry in a new direction we must question everything from manufacturing processes and materials production to carbon footprint reporting and supply chain ethics. We have to say no, to get to where we need to go.