Before the Magnificent Seven (Microsoft, Apple, Nvidia, Facebook, Google, Amazon and Tesla) took centre stage, the world’s most iconic brands were to be found by the roadside.
Heralding a gasoline revolution, these pioneers were characterised by magnificent symbols representing fossils, mythical creatures and the American Dream. Born over a century ago the automotive revolution grew to promise a world of freedom and adventure, of speed and exhilaration. The motor car was the future. And petrol — and the brands that delivered it — were its power.
The dream of the open road, and what it means to us, is still as live as ever. But in the wake of the climate crisis, our love of oil has fallen off a cliff. In that, though, is an opportunity. For a new, captivating representation of the renewable fuels that will power how we drive next.
Take the EV charging network. Instead of imagining a bolder, brighter world of guilt-free, clean and efficient driving, it is obsessed with range anxiety and coverage. It lacks confidence and any sense of joy. The resulting sea of sameness — BP Pulse, Chargeyourcar, Gridserve, Instavolt, Pod Point, and on and on — inspires no-one.
Maybe people really do only care about connection right now. But we need to push past the uncertainty. Dream of something bolder, bigger, more vital. Brand has a critical role to play in shaping that reality. A brand positive future for the energy that fuels freedom.
This doesn’t mean greenwashing, or promising total utopia. People are fed up with empty words — but they’re also fed up with a dystopian view where we refuse to dare to dream before we have all the answers.
Societal shifts are opportunities for positive change. Content agency Futurific believes that “if we can imagine better worlds, we can create them”. Kevin Kelly of Wired magazine calls it “protopia”: a state that is better today than yesterday. When we imagine a positive future, we can have a positive impact.
Might Octopus Energy or OVO step in as consumer champions to lead the way, and bring a sense of vitality to what might be achieved with the EV charging network?
What’s needed are more visionaries to tell better stories of this electric powered future for our cars, our mobility — our freedom. What new horizons might we discover powered not by oil, but by optimistic brands?
