Geely had good clean fun this April Fools Day.
Geely, China’s largest private automaker made waves on April Fool’s Day with their latest creation – the Geely MINI Smiling car on their Facebook page. The car was said to run on positive vibes, a concept that left many people scratching their heads.
While it was undoubtedly a tongue-in-cheek prank, Geely’s MINI Smiling car showcased the brand’s innovative spirit and and growing marketing know-how.
The Geely MINI Smiling Car: A Clever Marketing Stunt
According to Geely, the MINI Smiling car is powered by a unique energy source – the positive vibes emitted by its occupants. The car probably would have been outfitted with sensors that detect the level of positivity in the vehicle, and the energy generated by these positive vibes is converted into power that propels the car forward.
While there many modern concept cars do look like products of science fiction, it’s important to remember that the Geely MINI Smiling car is, in fact, an April Fool’s Day prank. Climate change and the energy crisis continue to plague humanity’s future and there’s no easy way out of society’s addiction to cheap fossil fuel.
But maybe Geely’s April Fool’s Day stunt has an appreciable message behind it. Maybe the power of positivity is something we can all think about harnessing. After all, an optimistic outlook on the future is the best way to motivate humans in the right direction.
So while there really is no Geely MINI Smiling vehicle, know that car companies like Geely are actually actively working to reduce their carbon footprint as part of their ESG goals. The company’s full lifecycle carbon emissions dropped by 8% per vehicle in 2022. The company’s commitment to ESG has pushed its MSCI ESG rating from BBB to A, all good signs and proof that things can get better when companies allow themselves to be held accountable.
In the meantime, try not to think about Polestar and Rivian’s recently commissioned study that found that the entire car industry had less than a decade to dramatically change its ways or risk environmental catastrophe.
