It Just Dropped a Video

• Tesla released what might have been its very first commercial on Friday.
• Tesla’s Asia account on Twitter posted a 2-minute driver testimonial.
• Elon Musk said last week that the company will begin advertising for the first time in its history.

Tesla might have already revealed its very first commercial less than a week after Elon Musk said the company would begin advertising for the first time in its history. 

The electric carmaker rolled out a 2-minute Twitter video on its Tesla Asia account called “Drive to believe.” The video appeared to give a peek into the company’s plans for its upcoming ad campaign, which could rely on driver testimonials.

If so, it’s rolling out ads in a relatively low-key way: The Tesla Asia account has only 172,000 followers compared to its main account’s 21 million. It’s not clear if this is indeed the brand’s first advertisement, though many people on Twitter have hailed it as such. 

The brand has relied heavily on word-of-mouth in the past — in addition to Musk’s promotion on social media. Last week, Musk called the Tesla promotions on Twitter “preaching to the choir.” Tesla didn’t respond to a request for comment on the video.

In the video, a Model 3 owner and a mother of two kids said she was initially drawn to the vehicle because of its technology, but has grown to appreciate the car even more due to its safety measures. The video highlights several Tesla features, including the car’s Autopilot feature, infotainment system, and the Tesla app — as well as the “ease” of using an electric car for everyday drives.

“It is one of the greatest gifts that my kid can have in terms of their future,” the woman in the video says.

—Tesla Asia (@Tesla_Asia) May 19, 2023

Musk made the announcement on turning toward advertising after having shunned it previously after a shareholder at the event, Kevin Paffrath — also known as the YouTuber Meet Kevin — suggested that the company needs to do more to let non-Tesla fans know about the company’s products.

Musk told CNBC’s David Faber later that day that he’d only just made the decision at the event. He said Tesla didn’t yet have a clear strategy yet for advertising. Still, the CEO told CNBC he thinks that, in general, ads should be “informative and entertaining” without causing users to regret the time they spent watching them.

Musk told CNBC that he hopes to use ads to combat what he said was misinformation about the brand’s pricing, as well as promote its safety features.

In the past, Musk has said he hates advertising. He’s said Tesla prefers to put its money toward research-and-development rather than promotional content.