- Kia is helping EV buyers transition with gasoline-scented air fresheners.
- Campaign launches in Finland and gives EV4 buyers an odd accessory.
- Air freshener has a motor oil base and smells like a car repair shop.
Finland isn’t known for its humor, but Kia has launched a humorous new campaign in the country that promotes electric vehicles. The centerpiece is a “gasoline-scented air freshener” that you can hang from your rearview mirror.
Announced in a social media post, the gas can-shaped air freshener is designed to help people “transition to a new era of driving.”
More: Kia’s EV4 Hatch Is Here To Make Tesla And VW Sweat
While the Facebook translation was terrible and talked about electrocution, Kia actually said “Do you miss the smell of gasoline and the gas pump in the midst of electrification? We have quick help for withdrawal symptoms.”
They then pitched their air freshener as a way to cope and said it will be available to new EV4 buyers. Interestingly, this appears to be an actual product as Kia noted it’s a “limited edition.”
According to Tyyliniekka, the idea came from Kia importer Astara Auto Finland, who decided to team up with Max Perttula for the decidedly oddball scent. The resulting concoction is said to have a motor oil base, a metallic note, and hints of jasmine as well as birch tar.
That doesn’t sound like something you’d want to keep in your car and Perttula described it as smelling “reminiscent of a car repair shop.”
The air freshener is part of a larger campaign that embraces humor to sell EVs. In a separate post, the company showed two people outside on what could have been a smoke break.
However, Kia said “Smoke signals are a thing of the past. Test drive the new all-electric Kia EV4 and experience the impact of smoke-free driving in just a few minutes!”
