It may not be the fourth sequel Austin Powers fans have been waiting for, but General Motors is certainly embracing some late 1990s nostalgia with its 2022 Super Bowl commercial. The Detroit brand is blitzing the internet with short teaser videos revealing Dr. Evil and his memorable cohorts in crime, and now we get a taste of how it all comes together.
The newest teaser actually fools us a little bit. It opens much like the old Chevrolet real people commercials, with said people standing around an Ultium chassis in a conference room. The question posed to the group is simple: how far can GM's Ultium-powered EVs go on a charge? After a few realistic responses, who happens to speak up? You know who, and you know what he's going to say. One meeeelion miles? Hey, at least he's not claiming to be the Princess of Canada this time.
Cue Dr. Evil's maniacal laugh as he presses a button, opening the walls of the conference room to reveal his secret Detroit lair. How do we know it's in Detroit? Aficionados of the Motor City will easily recognize the top of the Ally Detroit Center between Scott Evil and Frau Farbissina, clearly visible through the window. The distinctive skyscraper is in the city's downtown district not far from the Renaissance Center, which of course is GM's world headquarters. Instead of threatening world leaders with a laser (sorry ... "laser") on the moon, it seems Dr. Evil will achieve global domination the old-fashioned way: by running a big company.
Clearly, the emphasis for the Big Game ad is on GM's electric ambitions, which are nearly as strong as Dr. Evil's ambitions to rule the world. The GMC Hummer EV is already in production; the Chevrolet Silverado EV is already revealed, and all-electric versions of the Chevy Equinox and Blazer are on the way.
Will this commercial reveal something else? More teasers are likely before Super Bowl LVI kicks off on February 13, so stay tuned.
