BMW, on the occasion of Super Bowl 2022, has launched a new 60-second commercial to showcase its brand new all-electric BMW iX Sports Activity Vehicle, which will arrive in the United States next month. The star-studded commercial featured legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger and Oscar nominee Salma Hayek Pinault, and was directed by two-time Oscar-nominated director Bryan Buckley. It aired during the third commercial break of the first quarter of the game.
Schwarzenegger plays Zeus, the Greek god of lightning, and Hayek Pinault plays his wife, the goddess Hera, as they take leave of Mount Olympus for a quiet life in Palm Springs, California. However, the monotony of retirement quickly weighs on Zeus, frustrated by earthly electronics and the constant demands of his nagging mortal neighbors to charge their electric golf carts and hedge trimmers. Meanwhile, Hera, the heroine of the story, has fully acclimatized and is enjoying her retirement. In an effort to bring some panache back into Zeus’s life, she presents him with an electric BMW iX, which quickly rekindles her husband’s electric abilities.
The commercial ends with the happy couple aboard the new BMW iX to the rhythm of Eddy Grant’s “Electric Avenue”, while Zeus uses his electricity to turn the lights on.
“Fully electric mobility is the 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 commercial as for the game. With Arnold and Salma, we show the new BMW iX to the world in a memorable and impactful way ”.
“The humor lies in the fact that the legendary god of lightning, who is supposed to be indestructible, fights with everyday electronics”, Schwarzenegger said. “Only when his brilliant wife gives him a fully electric BMW iX Zeus is he impressed by the powerful power of electricity and completely rejuvenated.”
The commercial was conceived by BMW’s leading creative agency in the United States, Goodby Silverstein & Partners, and directed by director Bryan Buckley, twice nominated for an Oscar and highly acclaimed for having worked on more than 65 Super Bowl commercials. The commercial also marks Hayek Pinault’s debut in a Super Bowl commercial and the actress’s first time alongside Schwarzenegger in a national commercial.
“This is my first Super Bowl commercial and the first time I’ve played a Greek goddess,” Hayek Pinault said. “Seventy-five percent of marriage decisions about how to spend money are made by women, and in this commercial, it’s the woman who decides the right car to get her husband back on track. Sure, the commercial is funny, but it also tells a human truth “.
“I’ve done about 60 Super Bowl commercials. I’ve never had more star power than these two, ”said director Bryan Buckley. “As soon as I saw Schwarzenegger’s name on the script I decided I was going to do it. And Salma – there is no one older than her as an actress. It’s a 60-second film, and it’s on the biggest stage of all ”.
“Transcending the sport, this iconic annual event is not just a championship match. It is a cultural phenomenon in which spectators are even more attentive when there is no action on the pitch “, said Rich Silverstein, co-founder and co-chair of Goodby Silverstein & Partners. “There is only one person on the planet who could claim to be Zeus, and that’s Arnold. And there’s only one brand worthy of being called the Ultimate Electric Driving Machine, and that’s BMW. We needed to show it in a big way, and that’s what we’ll do on February 13th ”.
Designed to provide much more than mere mortal mobility, the BMW iX combines the fifth generation of BMW eDrive technology with the group’s latest developments in the fields of design, connectivity, digital services and sustainability. With 516hp and acceleration from 0 to 100 in just 4.6 seconds, the BMW iX offers an exhilarating driving experience with an EPA estimate of up to 324 miles of fully electric range and the latest on-board technology, including 5G connectivity, a large curved display that combines the 12.3-inch information display with a 14.9-inch central control display and the debut of BMW iDrive 8, the Group’s latest user interface system. The BMW iX starts at $ 83,200 plus $ 995 by destination and handling.
“This is a major event in the United States and the perfect stage to introduce the BMW iX to our customers,” said Uwe Dreher, vice president of marketing for BMW North America. “We have already seen a significant number of pre-orders for both the BMW iX and the BMW i4, and tremendous enthusiasm for these two new electric vehicles.”
Along with the BMW iX, BMW will also launch the fully electric BMW i4 four-door Gran Coupe in the United States next month. The group will take an important step towards its goal of covering 50% of global sales with fully electric vehicles by 2030.
BMW’s latest Super Bowl commercial appeared in 2015 with Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel marveling at BMW’s first fully electric vehicle, the BMW i3. The BMW i3 pioneered electromobility and later became one of the best-selling premium electric vehicles in the world.