General Motors opened one giant, international can of worms with one of its two Super Bowl ads – the “No Way Norway” commercial starring Will Ferrell.
Released online in full ahead of the big game on February 7, “No Way Norway” focused on Will Ferrell’s realization that Norway was the leading country in EV adoption. Decided to change that in America's favor, he and his celebrity friends, Kenan Thompson and Awkwafina, make their way to the country in what is meant to be the first American EVs here.
The ad was clearly supposed to tug at the patriotic heartstrings of Americans. It was also meant to shine the spotlight on the upcoming Cadillac Lyriq and the GMC Hummer EV, both of which get plenty of screen time, by posing them as the first American-made EVs to arrive in Norway.
Ford and Audi Norway both took issue with the ad, basically telling GM to shut up and sit down. Ford, for one, was more than justified to find offense with the claim that American-made EVs are not sold outside of the U.S. borders.
Tesla is another such carmaker; a new, fan-made ad points out. You can see it in full at the bottom of the page.
It includes footage shot by Arash, who goes by the moniker Minimal Duck, while on a visit in Norway in 2019, and delivers some sobering facts for GM. Like, for instance, how 17 percent of the EVs driven on the roads here are made in the U.S. - by Tesla. Norway, the ad says, has spent “two decades transitioning the world to sustainable energy.” It will take more than a Super Bowl ad for General Motors to do that.
Still, Tesla isn’t mad because there is room for everyone on the EV market. “Welcome to the pizza party,” a final note reads. “Better late than never.” Burn.
All jokes and rivalries aside, this fan-made video is absolutely gorgeous. If there is one thing that came out of the General Motors “debacle,” it's that it got people talking about EVs. That’s a win in itself.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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