smart is the first car brand to switch from combustion engine cars to fully electric cars by 2020. The aim was to convey this important message in an entertaining way online and on social media as a teaser for the upcoming campaign.

E-mobility has mostly been advertised with a rational & techy approach in the automobile industry. Our goal, however, was to simply make people excited for electric driving fun, so we decided to create a funny music video instead. “Eel-ectricity” was supposed to be a teaser for the “All electric, now!” campaign and the official launch of the new generation smart EQ. The target group included international, trend-conscious, internet users between the ages of 20 to 40, who take most of their inspiration from YouTube and Instagram and may also know the “electric eel phenomenon” from the popular eel memes. Electromobility is important for anyone who drives. This is why the video wasn’t only supposed to appeal to car fans but also tech- & electro-enthusiasts who are interested in innovation and future.

Under the motto “As electric as it gets.” a trio of electric eels is rapping about electricity in a humorous music video. Funny lyrics combined with electro 80s hip hop tunes deliver the literally shocking news: smart will be fully electric by 2020. It was meant to whet people´s interest in an all-electric-future and was released about three months prior to the official announcement at the IAA in September 2019. It was exclusively displayed online – on YouTube and Instagram – together with three short sketches that portrayed our electric eels as funny e-mobility ambassadors of smart. The music video as well as sketches were posted organically in the brands feed as well as its Instagram TV. However, people were also targeted via a bumper ad on YouTube as well as through sponsored ads on Instagram.

The electric eel trio received many laughing smileys and “WTF” comments on YouTube and Instagram. To this date the video has reached 5,7 million views and 25 million impressions. Even car blogs were amused by the eel trio. And in general “Eel-ectricity“ created buzz within the automobile industry for its uniqueness in style and presentation.