An ExxonMobil campaign has sparked online backlash, with some critics calling it the first ‘overtly anti-EV blow’, while others feared it is the first marketing ‘big pushback’ from the fossil industry against the electric vehicle (EV) sector.
The contentious campaign, which was released by ExxonMobil for their synthetic motor oil brand, Mobil 1, depicts an overly bleak world, where digital cables weigh everyone down until driving breaks them free.
The 90-second spot, ‘Breaking Free’ features people tethered to the tangled heavy cables that trailed behind them, which the Mobil 1 consumer marketing manager, Bryce Huschka, claimed simply aimed to appeal to driving enthusiasts.
“The goal of the campaign is to grow the category of people who are enthusiasts about driving,” she told Forbes.
Yet critics have pointed out that the ExxonMobile-funded campaign, instead of simply appealing to car enthusiasts, clearly specifically critiques electric vehicles, in favour of oil alternatives, which one user called “expertly crafted propaganda”.
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Quentin Wilson, a motoring journalist and TV presenter, justified his statement by pointing out the advert did not highlight any of the limitations of oil-powered vehicles.
“No shots, obviously, of leaking oil pumps, flares of methane or belching refineries,” Wilson commented on the ExxonMobil advert, “No hint either that an internal combustion engine is also tethered to a supply chain.
“The grinning guy pictured in his truck is only liberated up to the point where he needs more fuel.”
Former BBC news science editor David Shukman also noted that the ad was “very subliminally persuasive, beautifully shot and obviously cost ExxonMobil a lot of money”, while warning that further campaigns could be on the horizon due to the “infinite marketing spend of Big Oil against electrification”.
Some commenters pointed out the advert could possibly be flagged for greenwashing, while another saw it as a sign of the fossil fuel industry no longer attempting to invest in greener alternatives.
“I guess the gloves are now off…. at least the oil industry is making its position very clear. It has zero intention of weaning people off of its product or providing viable alternatives, and it will do everything possible to persuade people otherwise,” they added.
Yet not everyone seemed critical of the advert: one user disagreed with the comments, stating: “This is hardly a “big pushback” and hardly “subliminal”. They’re promoting a viewpoint and their products rather humorously with with silly exaggeration”
“There are many, many ads out there extolling the fun of doing stuff that isn’t exactly beneficial to the environment,” they added.
The advert follows in the wake of campaigners criticising fossil fuel giants for continuing to make profits and cut oil production targets amid climate crises.
Last month, Shell’s new CEO, Wael Sawan, prioritised shareholder payments and dropped their initial global net zero carbon emissions target goal.
In addition, recent campaigners criticised Shell’s recent report of second-quarter profits of £3.9billion ($5 billion) as ‘obscene’, the announcement coinciding with the climate crisis that burned across Mediterranean countries.
ExxonMobil is expected to report the company’s second-quarter profits today (28 June), with Forbes predicting the revenues to sit at £58.2 billion ($74.7 billion) following a revenue of £67.5 billion ($86.6 billion) in the first quarter of the year.
