One of people’s biggest fears of electric vehicles is being electrocuted, so to help deal with this phobia, Mitsubishi electrified an entire room, so that the only safe place was the car itself. Shock therapy is one of many ways the “Electriphobia Research Institute,” a new campaign by OMD and John St., can help potential electric car buyers overcome their fears.
To launch the new all-electric car, the i-MiEV, videos at Electriphobia.com address various concerns such as how to fill up an electric car or where the tailpipe is, says Angus Tucker, co-CD and partner, John St.
“We didn’t want to market this as a green vehicle,” he says. “The thought of buying electric vehicles scares people, [so] the whole digital experience is treated like therapies.”
The campaign, which launches today, targets a niche buyer across generational lines, who wants a fun car to drive and wants to be the first to have a new technology, says Tucker.
Print ads and PR support will drive traffic back to the site, where features like a Gripe-o-meter (offering people something other than gas prices to gripe about) and a commutalculator (which measure distance travelled) engage visitors.
