Tesla’s S3XY shorts prove Elon Musk’s storytelling genius – sold out in minutes, the sexy satirical sportswear is a luxury marketing masterclass
Tesla’s cheeky shorts would mean nothing without the backstory – but CEO Elon Musk is a master of brand building. Photo: Tesla/Xinhua
By Daniel Langer, CEO Équité and Professor of Luxury Strategy
Published in South China Morning Post - Inside Luxury Column by Daniel Langer
One of the best storytellers alive is Elon Musk. Tesla’s ascent to become the world’s most valuable car company is not only driven by its continuously increasing lead in creating electric cars, but also by some of the best storytelling of any brand.
Tesla’s ambition is to accelerate sustainable transport – this makes it the only larger car brand focused on this single purpose, while other brands talk about sustainability as one of several objectives. As long as other car companies are still invested in fossil fuel engines, they can’t compete with this purity of focus. Tesla’s message is much simpler and more powerful than if a traditional brand says, “we believe in sustainability and have the objective to sell 80 per cent of our cars as electric versions by 2030.” Tesla can say “we are electric”, versus “we would like to be electric but aren’t yet – please bear with us.”