General Motors and Netflix announced a partnership, the automaker’s electric vehicles will appear in new shows and film and television dramas.
To kick off the initiative, the companies have cast Will Ferrell in a joint commercial, which will air shortly.
No financial terms or deal logistics were disclosed in the announcement from the parties, but executives from both companies insisted in a news conference that the arrangement was not traditional product placement.
GM’s global chief marketing officer Deborah Wahl said in a press release: “Entertainment has a huge impact on culture. We want to make electric vehicles famous in streaming media, small screens and silver screens, through storytelling. to create an EV culture by merging the experience of driving and owning an EV. Netflix is a great partner with a compelling story, a commitment to sustainability, and a track record of sparking cultural trends. We will unite Together, we will create a better and more sustainable future for our world as we move electric vehicles to everyone.”
“At Netflix, we make shows and movies that impact culture and spark meaningful conversations, and General Motors is a cultural leader in the automotive industry, and we’re proud to partner with them on our Expanding the image of electric vehicles in shows and movies. This partnership reflects our continued commitment to supporting the rapid changes in the world around us.”
It is not without precedent for film and television companies to cooperate with cars. For example, the “Transformers” series largely relies on the agreement with General Motors. While it’s difficult to see the potential value of the partnership in the short term, the deal does give Netflix a relationship with a major automaker.
