Slate's New Truck Slogan: "It Doesn't Have to Look Like a Dumpster"
Company Says Consumers Deserve to Own a Truck That Doesn't Look Like a Stepped-on Roll of Aluminum Foil
TROY—Electric truck startup Slate unveiled its latest marketing campaign Monday centered around a surprisingly controversial design philosophy: making an electric truck that actually looks like a truck.
According to company officials, the slogan was developed after extensive market research revealed consumers had begun accepting the idea that electric trucks were simply destined to resemble large commercial waste containers or toasters from the ‘90s. Researchers also reported a slight increase in Cybertrucks seen on the road around the same time. They insist the two findings are completely unrelated, probably.
“We wanted to challenge that assumption,” said Slate Chief Designer Mark Ellis. “People deserve options. If you want your truck to look like a silver Wi-Fi router, that’s your right. We’re just saying you actually don’t have to. Seriously, why are you doing that?”
Engineers confirmed the truck’s design process involved several revolutionary concepts, including rounded edges, body panels that appear to belong to the same vehicle, and asking test groups whether they would flip off someone driving it.
Automotive analysts praised Slate for taking what they called the bold risk of designing a pickup truck that immediately registers in the human brain as “truck.”
Tesla declined to comment on the campaign but released a statement reminding consumers that almost nobody uses a truck to its full capability anyway.