BMW to Debut a New Advertisement during the Super Bowl Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Salma Hayek Pinault and the All-New, Fully Electric BMW iX Sports Activity Vehicle.

Richmond Hill, ON. BMW will debut a new 60-second advertisement during the Super Bowl on Sunday, February 13, 2022, to showcase its all-new, fully-electric BMW iX Sports Activity Vehicle, which arrives in Canada next month. The star-studded spot features legendary actor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Academy Award nominee Salma Hayek Pinault, and was directed by two-time Academy Award nominated director Bryan Buckley. It will air as part of the Canadian broadcast on CTV.

Schwarzenegger stars as Zeus, the Greek god of lightning, and Hayek Pinault plays his wife, the goddess Hera, as they retire from Mt. Olympus to a quiet life in Palm Springs, California.  However, the monotony of retirement quickly weighs on Zeus, who becomes frustrated by his struggles with earthly electronics and his nagging mortal neighbours’ constant requests to charge their electric golf carts and hedge trimmers. Meanwhile, Hera, the hero of the story, has fully acclimated and is thriving in retirement. In an effort to bring some excitement back into Zeus’s life, she gives him an all-electric BMW iX, which quickly helps reignite her husband’s electric mojo. The spot closes with the happy couple rocking down the road in their new BMW iX to Eddy Grant’s “Electric Avenue” while Zeus uses his electric power to change the traffic lights to green.

“All-electric mobility is at the very heart of the BMW brand,” said Jens Thiemer, senior vice president, customer and brand, BMW AG. “There is no better place to make this statement than in front of one of the largest television audiences in the world, where viewers tune in as much for the commercials as they do for the game. With Arnold and Salma, we are able show the world the new BMW iX in a memorable and impactful way.” 

“The humour lies in this legendary god of lightning, who is supposed to be indestructible, battling with everyday electronics,” said Schwarzenegger. “It is only when his brilliant wife presents him with the gift of an all-electric BMW iX that Zeus is struck with the mighty power of electricity and is completely rejuvenated.”

The ad also marks Hayek Pinault’s debut in a Super Bowl spot and the first time she and Schwarzenegger have costarred in an ad in North America. 

“This is my first Super Bowl commercial – and the first time I’ve played a Greek goddess,” said Hayek Pinault. “Seventy-five percent of the decisions made in a marriage about where to spend the money are made by women, and in this commercial, it is the woman who decides on the right car to get her husband back on track. Of course, the commercial is entertaining, but there is also a real human truth to it.” 

“I’ve done 60-some-odd Super Bowl spots. I’ve never had more star power than these two,” said director Bryan Buckley. “When I first saw Schwarzenegger’s name on the script, I was in. And Salma—there is no one greater as an actress. It’s a movie in 60 seconds, and it’s on the biggest platform.”

Designed to provide more than just mortal mobility, the BMW iX brings together the fifth generation of BMW eDrive technology with the company’s latest developments in the fields of design, connectivity, digital services and sustainability.  In Canada, the BMW iX will be offered as the BMW iX xDrive40, iX xDrive 50 and the high-powered BMW iX M60.  The latter model marks the arrival of the BMW M brand into the segment of dedicated electric performance vehicles, and sprints from 0-100 km/h in just 3.8 seconds.  In terms of range, the BMW iX handily surpasses the 500 kilometre threshold with a confirmed range of up to 521 km.

Inside, the vehicle impresses with the latest in-vehicle technology, including 5G connectivity, a sweeping curved display that unites the 12.3-inch information display with a 14.9-inch central control display, and the debut of BMW iDrive 8, the company’s latest user-interface system. The BMW iX starts at $79,900.

“The BMW iX is arguably the biggest model launch we’ve had in the last decade,” stated Andrew Scott, director, BMW brand management, BMW Canada.  “What better place than the Super Bowl to tell Canadians that our all-electric future is here?  National fanbase, tremendous reach, and on a Canadian network, something we are proud to be investing in.”

Alongside the BMW iX, BMW will also launch the fully-electric BMW i4 four-door Gran Coupe in Canada next month as the company takes a major step toward its stated goal of reaching global sales of 50% electric vehicles by 2030.

BMW’s last Super Bowl ad appeared in 2015 and featured Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel as they marveled over BMW’s first fully-electric production vehicle, the BMW i3. The BMW i3 was a pioneer of electromobility and later became one of the best-selling premium electric vehicles in the world.