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[anton]

Zero just released new ad, pretty good in my opinion:

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

Adweek has an article about this ad: http://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/watch-this-poor-guy-try-to-justify-a-10000-motorcycle-purchase-to-his-significant-other/

I do like that they're not making some straightforward pitch about the bike; that there's something intangible making him go through this while acknowledging that it's difficult to justify it in words. Of course, the moving pictures do that job. I'm not going to jump in a lake, but hiking up a mesa is compelling.

And they even make the most effective argument work: "I'll get home sooner" while also acknowledging that it's still an excuse. I've made a similar argument of: "I'll take you with me and we can talk while we're riding and we won't get as tired."

But here's the main/commendable thing: this seems to be Zero's best marketing message to date, compared to previous videos showing the bike just riding or owner testimonials (and let's face it, some of us aren't ad-copy material!).

[ctrlburn]

2013 First model with foot pegs standard.... "for us"   (didn't work)

[Seeth]

So, it's  a funny ad... But probably shouldn't have emphasized that guy being, you know, alone.

So alone. In the dark.

Talking to himself and an empty chair.

Not the impression you want to give, right?

You can physically fix the whole thing with either :
1. Her taking it out and doing a quick montage of the same activities, or
2. Close  with her looking at him and adding, "Where's mine?"

Instead you made it a boy toy that requires justification. Feh 

[Shadow]

...2. Close  with her looking at him and adding, "Where's mine?" ...

Yes. That. Although I would have it be dog not some particular sex of human.

[ZeroPointZero]

Just great... portray Zero owners as lunatics who talk to empty chairs and look crazy in the mirror.  Sure this is true for me, but I'm just a little disturbed by the artistic representation of myself lol. 

[Fivespeed302]

Just great... portray Zero owners as lunatics who talk to empty chairs and look crazy in the mirror.  Sure this is true for me, but I'm just a little disturbed by the artistic representation of myself lol.

It's nice to hear I'm not the only one.

[Starpower]

Didn't do it for me and it implys it will get you to far way places (and back I presume).

[Seeth]

As long as your nearby far away mesa is equipped with a power jack....

[Shadow]

Didn't do it for me and it implys it will get you to far way places (and back I presume).

You can get pretty far out at 20mph. I made it nearly to the Black Rock in Nevada's Black Rock Desert wilderness. Would've easily had made it if not for sinking 10" down into the lakebed mud. Charged along the way at a service station, motel, trailer park, and EVSE. Will probably do a group ride up there if I can find a willing host for multiple EVSE charging setups in the nearest town.

[Doug S]

Didn't do it for me...

I kind of thought the same thing...it's perhaps a bit too cute for my money. Also, he could be arguing for ANY motorcycle, not just a Zero. Almost every bike is cheaper to run, better for the environment, more fun and easier to commute on than pretty much any 4-wheeled vehicle. Since he shoots down pretty much any argument he might use, it seems like he's pretty much saying it all boils down to "I want to because I want to".

For me, my priorities were:

1) My first (and only) test-drive of a Tesla instantly hooked me on the torque, responsiveness and other delights that EVs offer. Yes, that's an aesthetic "I want it because I want it" argument. So I'm a hypocrite, so what?
2) This nation and this world has to break our addiction to petroleum, and fast. If that's a liberal point of view, then I'm really, REALLY liberal on this point. I'm terrified that we're already 50 years too late in converting to other forms of generation and storage of energy. This downhill environmental slide that we're already on could very easily turn into a cliff at a moment's notice, and it may already be beyond our capability of reversing regardless how much tech and money we throw at the problem. If we're going to have any chance at stabilizing things, some people are going to have to step up and help get some new technologies mature and become more mainstream. For me, this is an important way of stepping up.
3) Lower running costs are great, though I don't really believe they balance in the Zero's favor until you get into the 50,000-mile range or more, maybe significantly more. But I don't visit the gas station much any more these days! And I'm working on getting to the break-even point, too...31,000 miles in just over three years now.
4) It's a great toy and conversation piece. It's new, exciting and not very many people have one (yet). I'm an EE, and though some people (like my dad) may think I have a toy problem, I think I just have a passion for electrical/electronic devices of all kinds. Electronics has been very good to me as a career, and if I can keep that passion lit, it's a good thing. It's pretty damn fun, too.
5) For all the reasons listed above and others, it's very clear (at least to me) that EVs are the wave of the future. I like being ahead of the curve. I'm not really addicted to being on the leading edge, but I definitely enjoy it recreationally.

[Fred]

I also didn't really like the ad. Very little about it really applied to an electric bike over an ice one.

[hubert]

Our zeroes are and remain fantastic (men's) toys. For serious moves (with persons and some baggage) there is the (electric) car, and for saving the planet.... Please commute with the bicycle! At least a fast and furiously comfortable one like a 3-wheeler "velomobile", ideal in flat lands (with or without electric assist). Since I own a Zero, I find it harder to choose the VM for daily commute, il makes me sad (only a little, though). ;-)

[ctrlburn]

1. Her taking it out and doing a quick montage of the same activities, or

I second that -
One of my reasons - probably listed elsewhere on this forum was my wife could not wrap her head around motorcycle shifting. So she would not try it.
Manual transmission for a car - she could watch all the controls and knew the operation. So one day she dropped me of at work - and she drove the car home.
(that is just the way she handles new skills (i'm the opposite, I'll try what I don't understand just because i don't understand it))
I figured, alone in the dark talking to myself, that the Zero would be ideal for her to learn on.

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

1. Her taking it out and doing a quick montage of the same activities, or

I second that -
One of my reasons - probably listed elsewhere on this forum was my wife could not wrap her head around motorcycle shifting. So she would not try it.
Manual transmission for a car - she could watch all the controls and knew the operation. So one day she dropped me of at work - and she drove the car home.
(that is just the way she handles new skills (i'm the opposite, I'll try what I don't understand just because i don't understand it))
I figured, alone in the dark talking to myself, that the Zero would be ideal for her to learn on.

My girlfriend had a reasonably good time trying my Zero in a parking lot as a new rider, and is also generally not up for oil changes and other maintenance. And she does like riding as a passenger on my Zero much better than my gas bike.

There are legitimate concerns about Zero models' standover height that could be addressed before marketing it in a gender-neutral way, and I do agree the commercial's tongue in cheek approach was mistuned and deserved a re-balancing the comments above suggest.

I feel like this ad represents that Zero is changing in a good way overall. It seems like a reasonable first step, just not the best step or hopefully last step.