We are at an inflection point for our world, one of those rare moments in history when everything changes. The catastrophic events of the past year have strengthened everyone’s resolve to push through what has held us back. It’s a lesson we learned when called upon to quickly convert our factories to make ventilators in response to the Covid crisis, a call we answered in only 30 days.
If we could do that, then we can do anything, and that success has been baked into our DNA. Now we approach every challenge ready, willing and able to act on in “ventilator time.” For General Motors in 2021, that means accelerating our mission to reach “zero crashes, zero emissions, zero congestion” and playing a central role in the creation of an all-electric future. To “move humanity forward” in the words of our CEO, Mary Barra.
The world is ready. Our first electric vehicle, the EV1, was a long time ago. Now we can present an exciting driving opportunity that shatters all the stereotypes about the limitations of electric cars and trucks, with our Ultium battery platform. We can now comprehensively bring our all-electric future to the masses.
The future took a big step forward for us at CES in January, where we unveiled a new ad campaign, “Everybody In,” an inclusive and accessible call to action that introduces GM’s next-generation EV lineup. A lineup that includes everything from mass-market to high-performance vehicles.
The spots star change agents including Malcolm Gladwell, author of “The Tipping Point,” professional surfer and shark attack survivor Bethany Hamilton, fitness instructor Cody Rigsby and gamer Erin A. Simon and feature products like the GMC HUMMER EV and Cadillac LYRIQ.
You read that right. An electric HUMMER. When you’re on the cusp of an inflection point, you go bold. And it doesn’t stop with advertising, of course. We also dramatically changed our corporate identity to reflect our commitment to an all-electric future. We want the outside world as well as our 164,000 employees to see how we will transition that future.
In the new campaign, you’ll also see our commitment to diversity and inclusivity visually represented. An older woman referencing driving at high speeds, for example, and a man with a dog talking about how the HUMMER gives him the room he needs. Not exactly what you’d expect a guy to say about his big, tough truck, is it?
As marketers, our role in society’s effort to shed stereotypes and integrate diversity is not just to form a marketing strategy but to drive change. To create a movement. A call to action for dealerships, communicators, government, employees, and customers, all moving together towards an energetic and vibrant future.
SeeHer is the model. Like GM, it is a driver of change. It’s exciting to see that change happening faster in 2021 than in the entire decade that preceded it.
I’ve spent decades in my career working to get this right and I’m proud to work for a company that aims to be the most inclusive company in the world. A company that also commits all of its energy and resources to realizing a safer world with no crashes, no emissions and no congestion.
