Dive Brief:

• Electric vehicle manufacturer Lucid Motors launched a new brand positioning and campaign entitled “Compromise Nothing,” per details shared with Marketing Dive. The effort marks the automaker’s first brand campaign since its 2016 founding.
• The multichannel campaign seeks to combat what is billed as “a legacy of unfortunate trade-offs” in the EV market, like performance versus long-range and comfort versus design, and promotes the Lucid Air and Lucid Gravity vehicles.
• Creative calls on greats like Muhammad Ali and Neil Armstrong and will span connected TV, digital, social media, print and out-of-home in markets like New York City and Los Angeles. The move arrives as EV competition grows, even despite sluggish U.S. adoption.

Dive Insight:

Global EV manufacturer Lucid Motors is vying to bring its brand front-of-mind with its new positioning and first-ever ad campaign. The effort, which positions Lucid as the EV maker that doesn’t force consumers to compromise, promotes the four-door Lucid Air sedan and new Lucid Gravity SUV, the latter which became available for custom orders in early November.

Central to “Compromise Nothing” is a 60-second spot that features clips from late-greats Neil Armstrong, Muhammad Ali and Nina Simone and asks viewers, “Is good enough ever enough?” The spot then highlights clips of Lucid vehicles navigating winding streets and ends by asking another question: “Why settle for the best EV when you could build the best damn car?”

Footage was captured in Southern California, a source of inspiration for Lucid’s design aesthetic, per release details. The spot was made with production company Smuggler and Cabin Editing. The brand positioning was developed by independent agency Giant Spoon, which now serves as Lucid’s lead for U.S. creative and strategic direction.

“Compromise Nothing” spans a wide swath of channels including print, CTV and social, and will also include OOH ads in New York City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Phoenix. Lucid’s first marketing play could help it reach new audiences during a high point for business — the company reported revenue of $200 million in Q3, up from $137.8 million the year prior.

However, the EV market is also primed for challenges as U.S. adoption shows signs of sluggish growth and a number of new entrants hit the market. Accordingly, several major players, like Toyota, have brought their EV strategies into sharper focus and backed them with bolder marketing plans.

Earlier this month, Dodge launched a campaign that introduced its first all-electric vehicle, the Charger Daytona, alongside creative that asserts the brand’s intentions to save people from the “lame, soulless, weak-looking, self-driving sleep pods” sold by rivals. In November, Jaguar launched a brand revamp meant to mark its transition to solely manufacturing EVs, an effort that has proven controversial. In May, Hyundai showcased its entire EV lineup through an integrated campaign inclusive of creator partnerships, a Reddit presence and a music video tie-in.