The science is clear—we’re not on track to avoid the devastating effects of climate change.
That’s not great news for humanity. But you know who else it’s not good for? A supervillain who wants to take full responsibility for destroying the world on his own terms.
In General Motors’ 2022 Super Bowl ad, Mike Myers reprises his role as the Austin Powers villain Dr. Evil. Myers is joined by his co-stars from those films, including Rob Lowe as Number Two, Seth Green as Scott Evil and Mindy Sterling as Frau Farbissina.
Dr. Evil goes EV-il
The spot opens as Dr. Evil declares the complete takeover of GM. That corporate domination turns out to be great news for the ill-intentioned team, as they can now use the auto brand’s modular platform and battery system, Ultium, to power their entire evil operation. (The Ultium platform powers GM’s growing fleet of electric vehicles, including the GMC Hummer EV SUV and pickup, the Cadillac Lyriq, Chevy Silverado EV and the BrightDrop EV600.)
Scott Evil goes on to share more good news: Dr. Evil can reduce tailpipe emissions with this acquisition. It’s a new priority for the villain, who, as Number Two explains, is now only the “second-greatest threat” to the world after climate change. That realization—on top of Scott’s announcement of his newborn son, who bears an eerie resemblance to Dr. Evil—convinces the pinky-wielding malefactor to accept a new challenge: In order to destroy the world, he must first prevent climate change.
GM released a 90-second version of the spot during NBC’s Today show this morning. A 60-second cut will run during the third quarter of the 2022 Super Bowl—an ad buy with a value of up to $7 million. The brand worked with agency McCann Detroit on the spot.
The new Big Game spot continues GM’s “Everybody In” campaign, which launched last January at CES. The brand has committed to debuting 30 new EV models by the end of 2025 in a bid to make electric cars more accessible to American drivers.
Climate change takes center stage
This year’s EV-focused spot continues a Super Bowl trend for GM. In 2020, LeBron James starred in a spot called “Quiet Revolution” that debuted GMC’s Hummer EV. Last year, Will Ferrell starred in a celeb-filled spot galvanizing American drivers to get more electric vehicles on the roads.
But neither of those ads spoke overtly about emissions and climate change the way this year’s commercial does. The 2020 spot played with sound, highlighting the quiet nature of EVs, and the 2021 ad invented a rivalry between Norway and the U.S. as motivation for EV adoption.
GM isn’t the only brand using its multimillion-dollar Super Bowl ad slot to send a climate message this year. Actor Matthew McConaughey establishes himself as #TeamEarth in Salesforce’s sustainability-themed ad. In addition to GM’s EV message, BMW and Kia will also highlight their electric offerings during on the Big Game stage, while EV charging brand WallBox wants to catch the attention of current and future EV owners with its Super Bowl debut.
