We Love EVs – BASF SE 2021 | Clapboard Ad Archive

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We Love EVs' - BASF SE | Clapboard Ad Archive

BASF SE’s We Love EVs campaign, created by Rothco | Accenture Interactive for the automotive market in 2021, positions the brand as a critical catalyst in the evolution of electric mobility by spotlighting its innovative approach to more sustainable battery materials. Eschewing narrative drama, testimonials, or emotive symbolism, the work embodies what Clapboard’s taxonomy identifies as FORMAT#1—Demonstration: a focused, product-centric device that transparently articulates how BASF’s material science advances directly benefit electric vehicles and, by extension, environmental progress. The campaign’s creative signals an understanding of the market’s increasing demand for authenticity and transparency in sustainability claims, anchoring its messaging in the concrete reduction of CO2 emissions and quantifiable improvements to battery technology, rather than broad environmental platitudes or brand self-congratulation. By mapping BASF’s technical know-how to societal imperatives—cleaner air, lower emissions, and shared responsibility for a greener future—the campaign avoids generic eco-marketing and instead asserts category leadership through factual demonstration of value delivered inside the automotive supply chain. The absence of human actors or lifestyle vignettes underscores the campaign’s strategic simplicity: BASF is the invisible force powering progress behind the scenes, connecting the dots between chemical innovation and the transformative promise of electric vehicles at scale. This positioning naturally aligns the brand alongside peers such as Covestro, Lanxess, Solvay, DuPont, and Clariant, yet distinguishes it by concentrating on battery material sustainability as both a market necessity and a differentiator. The film format’s directness dovetails with the expectations of B2B audiences—manufacturers, suppliers, and regulatory stakeholders—as well as increasingly technical B2C advocates, building credibility and trust through transparency and single-minded benefit exposition. The use of the #WeLoveEVs hashtag amplifies the campaign’s reach into digital channels, facilitating engagement among a community already invested in the electrification journey. The campaign earns 58/100 in Clapboard’s global creative archive. In reframing the conversation around EV sustainability from aspirational to actionable, BASF’s campaign signals a maturation in automotive brand storytelling, where proof of performance now supplants mere promise.

Credits

Client

BASF SE

Agency

Rothco, Accenture Interactive, Rothco Part of Accenture Interactive

Producer

Jeremy Muthana, Richard Martin, Jack Cain

Chief Creative Officer

Al Kelly

Executive Creative Director

Jen Speirs

Creative Director

John McMahon, Torlogh O’Boyle

Crew

Dave Kelly, Meabh McElduff, Caitriona Coakley, Jon Hollis

Agency Director

Rosie Rogers

Account Management

Joanna Cawley, Roisin Watters

Strategic Planner

Colette Henry

Production House

Nice Shirt, Curious Productions

Director

Matt Houghton

Cinematographer

Category Mind Map

48%

BASF SE’s 'We Love EVs' campaign positions the brand as a key enabler of sustainable innovation within the electric vehicle (EV) sector, emphasizing its commitment to improving battery materials to support a cleaner, more sustainable automotive future. The campaign’s core proposition centers on BASF’s role in advancing the environmental benefits of EVs by making essential components—specifically battery materials—more sustainable, thereby contributing to a reduction in CO2 emissions and fostering societal progress. Strategically, the campaign leverages the growing consumer and industry focus on sustainability and clean energy to align BASF’s technical expertise with the broader EV movement. By framing the brand as an innovator behind the scenes—facilitating the transition to electric mobility through improved battery technology—the campaign connects with an audience that values environmental responsibility and technological advancement. The creative approach underscores not just the existing benefits of EVs but also BASF’s ongoing efforts to push innovation further, appealing to stakeholders invested in the future of sustainable transportation. By combining authentic storytelling with a performance-driven messaging style, the campaign effectively situates BASF within the automotive sector’s larger sustainability narrative, reinforcing its relevance among industry partners, environmental advocates, and progressive consumers.

FORMAT#1 DEMONSTRATION — Directly shows how a product works and highlights its benefits. This campaign, “We Love EVs” by BASF, centers on performance and sustainability in battery materials, directly addressing the tangible benefits electric vehicles receive from BASF’s innovations. The introduction explicitly references reduced CO2 emissions and a greener society, while the YouTube title and description focus on improved battery materials. The narrative is benefit-driven and product-centric, with no story arc, testimonial, user imagery, or heavy symbolism. It’s structured to showcase contributions BASF is making, most aligned with Demonstration, emphasizing the product's positive impact for EVs in a direct and performance-focused way. ADVERTISING FORMATS EXPLAINED: https://www.clapboard.com/blog/branding-and-advertising/brand-strategy/12-advertising-creative-formats

1. Covestro – Positioned as a leading supplier of high-performance polymers and sustainable material solutions for automotive manufacturers, Covestro emphasizes innovation in lightweighting, electrification, and circular economy initiatives to support the transition to electric vehicles and reduce environmental impact. 2. Lanxess – Focuses on specialty chemicals and high-tech materials designed to enhance vehicle safety, durability, and sustainability, with a strategic emphasis on advanced polymers and elastomers that contribute to electric vehicle battery performance and increased energy efficiency. 3. Solvay – Markets itself as a key player in sustainable materials and chemical solutions, targeting lightweight composites and battery materials that improve electric vehicle range and reduce carbon footprint, combining technological expertise with a commitment to sustainable mobility. 4. DuPont – Positions as a science-driven innovator providing advanced materials that improve EV battery performance, safety, and vehicle lightweighting, leveraging their deep expertise in polymers and electronics to enhance vehicle efficiency and sustainability. 5. Clariant – Differentiates by focusing on specialty chemicals and catalytic solutions that support automotive sustainability goals, including battery materials and chemical catalysts that improve energy storage, performance, and environmental impact in electric vehicle production.

Q: What is We Love EVs about? A: We Love EVs is a professional campaign launched in 2021 for BASF SE, created by Rothco | Accenture Interactive and released in the United States. The campaign centers on BASF’s commitment to advancing electric vehicle technology by making battery materials more sustainable, directly linking the brand’s chemical expertise to the environmental benefits of EVs. Utilizing the film medium across three media assets, We Love EVs positions BASF as a key enabler in the shift toward cleaner mobility, with messaging focused on reducing CO2 emissions and supporting a more sustainable automotive future. Q: What creative device does We Love EVs use? A: We Love EVs employs the Demonstration format, as classified by Clapboard’s 12-format taxonomy. This creative device directly showcases how BASF’s innovations in battery materials deliver tangible benefits for electric vehicles, emphasizing performance and sustainability in a straightforward, product-centric manner. The campaign avoids narrative storytelling, testimonials, or heavy symbolism, instead focusing on clear, benefit-driven messaging that highlights BASF’s contributions to the EV sector through improved battery technology. Q: What is the campaign proposition for We Love EVs? A: The campaign proposition for We Love EVs positions BASF SE as a driving force behind sustainable innovation in the electric vehicle sector, targeting industry stakeholders, environmental advocates, and progressive consumers. BASF communicates its role as an innovator in battery materials, reinforcing the environmental advantages of EVs and its ongoing commitment to further reducing CO2 emissions. By aligning its technical expertise with the broader clean mobility movement, BASF underscores its relevance in the automotive market and its dedication to fostering societal progress through sustainable technology. Q: How does We Love EVs rank in Clapboard's archive? A: We Love EVs holds a Clapboard Campaign Score of 58/100 in Clapboard’s global ad archive. This score reflects the campaign’s creative ambition, execution quality, and cultural relevance as evaluated by Clapboard’s curatorial standards. Q: Who are the competitors in BASF SE's category? A: In the automotive materials and chemicals sector, BASF SE competes with several key players. Covestro is recognized for its high-performance polymers and sustainable solutions supporting EV lightweighting and electrification. Lanxess focuses on specialty chemicals and advanced polymers that enhance battery performance and energy efficiency. Solvay is known for sustainable composites and battery materials aimed at improving EV range and reducing carbon footprint. DuPont leverages its expertise in advanced materials to improve battery performance and vehicle efficiency, while Clariant specializes in specialty chemicals and catalysts that advance energy storage and sustainability in electric vehicle production.