Droga5 launched a new campaign called “Fueled by Everything,” introducing the hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai with the launch spot, “Fueled by Bullsh*t,” directed by Super Size Me’s Morgan Spurlock.
The online ad begins by reminding viewers of the ubiquity of hydrogen, “the most abundant element in the universe,” which is just about everywhere, before tackling criticism of the idea of hydrogen-powered vehicles.
“The ongoing joke is that fuel-cell vehicles are 15 years away and always will be,” Doug Coleman, national vehicle marketing manager-Prius family, electric and fuel cell vehicles at Toyota Motor sales, told AdAge. “The Mirai is not just a new model, but a whole new category, a whole new fuel source. There are a lot of misperceptions of what hydrogen is, where it comes from and does it make sense to use.”
The ad quotes skeptics as saying things such as “Fuel cells are dead on arrival,” “Hydrogen is inefficient,” It’s a pipe dream,” and even, just “Bullsh*t.” Engineer Scott Blanchett addresses that last one saying, “…they’re right, but not in the way they think.” The remainder of the ad follows the transformation of a truckload of manure into usable hydrogen fuel. Scott gets the manure from a dairy farmer and then transports it to the digester, where it is broken down and releases raw biogas. Purified gas is then taken to steam methane reformer, where the hydrogen is stripped out using steam and heat to make usable fuel. It’s a pretty clever way to denounce hydrogen critics and hype the launch of the new vehicle and despite the lengthy run time (past the three minute mark), the ad doesn’t feel too drawn out, as it provides a detailed look at the process of turning manure into fuel.
“Fueled by Bullsh*t” launched today on the Toyota Mirai website, social video sites such as YouTube and Hulu and Forbes.com. The campaign will continue rolling out through the fall, with a series of videos detailing other everyday sources for hydrogen fuel.