04/25/2025
Truth in Advertising.
As Elon Musk has busied himself dismantling parts of the United States government, signs of discontent have stealthily appeared across London’s public-transport network. On the Tube, a fake advertisement for Tesla showed Musk doing a gesture widely received as a N**i salute alongside the company’s plummeting stock price, with the caption “Hate Doesn’t Sell. Just Ask Tesla.” Another, plastered over a bus stop, featured Musk and Donald Trump together with a Tesla, and read “Autopilot for your car. Autocrat for your country.” A different sign branded Tesla “the Swasticar,” and announced that the vehicle “Goes from 0 to 1939 in 3 Seconds.” “Now With White Power Steering,” another read.
The posters are the handiwork of the guerrilla marketing group Everyone Hates Elon, which pulled off its biggest stunt yet last week. A private donor helped them secure a Tesla, then they set up an outdoor “rage room” and invited people to smash it. Around 100 people showed up to participate. Each visitor was given around 30 seconds, a hardhat, and a sledgehammer. The remains of the car will be crushed and auctioned to raise money for food banks.
“When you’re faced with threats from people like Elon Musk and Donald Trump, and how aggressive they are with their messaging, I don’t think the same old approach really works,” one of the group’s co-founders said. “He’s the richest private citizen in the world. We can’t outspend him. We don’t own Twitter. We can’t outcompete in that sense, but we know that we’re funnier than him. He’s definitely not funny.” Anna Russell spends time with the people behind Everyone Hates Elon: https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-guerrilla-marketing-campaign-against-elon-musk?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=dhfacebook&utm_content=app.dashsocial.com%2Fnewyorkermag%2Flibrary%2Fmedia%2F525437170
