Electrify America is more than just a charging network – it also has a mission to increase consumer awareness and acceptance of EVs. The company’s new marketing campaign, titled Normal Now, uses humorous ads across several media (online videos, streaming TV ads, digital banner ads, social media ads, paid search and podcasts) to deliver the message that EVs are just like any other new technology – they may have appeared weird and impractical at first, but once you get used to them, they’ll seem normal.

The Normal Now campaign reminds people how previous new technologies, including cell phones, web sites, smart watches and online dating, seemed nerdy and even scary until consumers got used to them. Some of the spots, which were developed by creative agency Eleven, are very clever. I’ve often noted the parallels between today’s nascent EV scene and the early days of the internet, and Normal Now’s splash page made me laugh out loud. It’s an uncanny re-creation of a 1990s-style home page, complete with cheesy graphics, awkward fonts, animated GIFs moving much too fast, aliens peeping around corners, and even a hit counter. Yes, people looked at sites like this and said “The World-Wide Web is a fad – it’ll never catch on!”

The brand-neutral campaign, which also includes Spanish-language elements, will run nationally through December 2021. It’s part of Electrify America’s $42-million education and public awareness initiative.

“A large percentage of the car buying public cite functional concerns about EVs, like range anxiety, charge time and cost, as reasons why they wouldn’t drive electric; however, the Normal Now campaign is inspired by the insight that there is actually a deeper, more emotional set of barriers standing in the way of consideration and adoption,” said Richard Steinberg, Senior Director of Green Cities, Marketing and Communications at Electrify America. “We believe that fear of change and lack of exposure to EVs in pop culture is making people view electric vehicles as too different from what they’re used to, and therefore are striving to normalize EVs with this latest educational campaign.”

“Yes, people scratched their heads when the flying machine, computer, and cell phone were introduced, but soon after these advancements became woven into our everyday lives,” said Mike McKay, Chief Creative Officer, Eleven. “We believe the electric car is becoming fully embraced as well, and our Normal Now campaign is a simple reminder that electric cars are here to stay.”

Source: Electrify America