Super Bowl LVI is this Sunday, and just as anticipated as the on-field clash are the on-screen advertisements. Companies go big for a 60-second spot, and BMW is joining the fray to push its upcoming iX all-electric SUV with a few big names. In the realm of the commercial, you could even say god-like.
The ad campaign is notably star-studded, featuring Hollywood heavy hitters like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Salma Hayek Pinault under the direction of two-time Academy Award nominated director Bryan Buckley. In the commercial, Schwarzenegger plays Zeus (the Greek god of lightning) while Hayek Pinault plays his wife, the goddess Hera. Upon retiring from Mt. Olympus to embrace a a “quiet life in Palm Springs, California”, Zeus quickly becomes disenchanted with the monotony of retirement, and frustrated by earthly electronics. Hera, on the other hand, appears to be thriving in retirement, and gifts Zeus the all-electric BMW iX to “reignite her husband’s electric mojo.”
“All-electric mobility is at the very heart of the BMW brand,” said Jens Thiemer, senior vice president, customer and brand, BMW AG. “There is no better place to make this statement than in front of one of the largest television audiences in the world, where viewers tune in as much for the commercials as they do for the game. With Arnold and Salma, we are able show the world the new BMW iX in a memorable and impactful way.”
Chiming in on the campaign, Schwarzenegger draws attention to the comedic effect of the “god of lightning” himself struggling with everyday electronics. “It is only when his brilliant wife presents him with the gift of an all-electric BMW iX that Zeus is struck with the mighty power of electricity and is completely rejuvenated,” says Schwarzenegger.
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“There’s only one person on the planet who could say he’s Zeus, and that’s Arnold. And there’s only one brand worthy of being called the Ultimate Electric Driving Machine, and that’s BMW,” said Rich Silverstein, co-founder and co-chairman of Goodby Silverstein & Partners, BMW’s creative agency. We needed to showcase this in a big way, and that is what we’re doing on February 13.”
The BMW iX is set to begin delivery in the US next month, and is a highly anticipated addition to the BMW fleet with 516 hp, a 0–60 time of only 4.6 seconds, and an EPA estimate of up to 324 miles of all-electric range.
