• by Tanya Gazdik , February 3, 2021

General Motors released its comedic Super Bowl spot, starring Will Ferrell, Wednesday morning.

Besides Ferrell, who the automaker used to tease the spot on Monday, the spot from Commonwealth//McCann Detroit also features comedians Kenan Thompson (“SaturdayNight Live”) and Awkwafina (“Crazy Rich Asians”). The latter also recently appeared in a Heineken spot. 

The premise of the 90-second spot, "No Way, Norway," is Ferrell discovering Norway far outpaces the United States in electric vehicle adoption. He decides to give Norwegians a piece of his mind and takes Thompson and Awkwafina on the action-packed journey. 

A 60-second version of the ad will air during the first quarter.

Since the 2014 Super Bowl, “funny” ads have remained a staple. At least 53% of ads were viewed as funny in each of the past seven years and hit a high-water mark of 69% of spots during the 2020 game (68% in 2014), according to iSpot.tv. 

Also, the use of celebrities in ad creatives have continued to trend. Super Bowl LIV had a record number of celebs appearing in 78% of all ads last year compared to 31% during the 2010 game, per iSpot.tv. 

The spot is an extension of GM's “Everybody In” campaign, which launched in January to excite a new generation of vehicle buyers and accelerate EV adoption while showcasing the company's Ultium battery platform. The spot features upcoming Ultium-powered electric vehicles, including the Cadillac LYRIQ luxury SUV and the GMC Hummer EV.

 “I’ve been driving an EV since the mid-80s....well, actually it was a regular car with 4 AA batteries taped to the carburetor, but it felt like an EV! We’re coming for you, Norway!!” said Ferrell in a release.

Deborah Wahl, GM global chief marketing officer, says the company admires Ferrell’s “passion” for EVs and that General Motors “shares Norway’s pursuit of an all-electric future.”

Well over half of the vehicles sold in Norway are electric. Comparatively, EVs made up less than 4% of market share in the United States in 2020. GM’s flexible Ultium platform is designed to improve EV accessibility for all, powering everything from mass-market to high-performance vehicles.

GM is committed to bringing 30 new EVs to market globally by 2025.