Polestar’s new global brand campaign features astronaut Karen Nyberg and a shared outlook on life on Earth

Polestar has released its new global brand campaign, portraying an astronaut’s life-altering experience of looking back at Earth from space. This becomes the narrative, highlighting the brand’s commitment to sustainable design and innovation, as it asks the ultimate question: Can we preserve Earth while still enjoying the thrill of being human?

“We are standing at a tipping point where climate change is no longer a theory. Transport is one of the biggest polluting sectors, but that can change. We are convinced that the thrill of driving, the beauty of good design and technological innovation does not have to come at the expense of our planet. With this campaign we recognise that we are part of the problem, but also that we have the power to turn things around. We believe that sustainability is the new premium and work relentlessly to minimise the negative environmental impact of our cars, as we design towards zero,” says Åsa Borg, Head of Marketing at Polestar.

The standout campaign film features Dr Karen Nyberg, a former US astronaut with two space missions and a total of 180 days in space to her name. In 2013, Nyberg spent close to six months on the International Space Station (ISS) as flight engineer. The film draws on Nyberg’s experience that allowed her to reflect on the way we live, the innovations and progress mankind has made, but also on the damage some of those advancements have had on our home. These fundamental questions arose as Nyberg experienced a phenomenon known as ‘the overview effect’, while observing Earth from above.

“When you look down on Earth you realise how fragile it is. It’s hanging there in the blackness of space with nothing around it. And it’s our home, our only home, and we really need to protect it. For me, another aspect of the overview effect is that all humans are connected, that we have more in common than we think,” says Karen Nyberg.

Polestar believes in being part of the solution, that progress should not come at the expense of the environment, and that good design drives sustainable innovation.

The all-electric Polestar 2 offers a maximal driving experience, the thrill of outstanding performance and beautiful design. Today, all cars have an environmental footprint, but Polestar works relentlessly to minimise their negative impact on the planet and aims to be fully transparent on the journey.

Polestar has put itself forward in the automotive industry as the only manufacturer to publish the complete Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the Polestar 2 electric performance fastback, with full transparency on methodology, and calls on the automotive industry to follow suit. The environmental impact of its cars is displayed in retail locations and during the online purchasing process, and the company uses blockchain to trace the cobalt that goes into its vehicle batteries, a scope that will be expanded to include all risk minerals.

Recognising that electrification is a starting point, not the end game, Polestar earlier this year announced the Polestar 0 project, an important goal of creating a truly climate neutral car by 2030, by reducing emissions throughout supply chain and production.

The 360-degree brand campaign launches on 22 October and will run across key markets globally during the coming months, both in traditional and social media channels.

The campaign has been created in close collaboration between the creative team at Polestar and global creative collective Forsman & Bodenfors. The campaign film was shot in Sweden, on the island of Gotland and in Stockholm. For the creatives behind the idea, Karen Nyberg’s personal story was a big inspiration.

“We were very drawn to the ‘Overview Effect’ and how this phenomenon changed Karen’s outlook on life. We wanted to capture the empathy she developed for our planet but also how technology can help us embrace life, both today and in the future. Her story became the lead act in the film and gave us the unique angle we needed to reflect a brand like Polestar,” comments Hampus Elfström, creative at Forsman & Bodenfors in Gothenburg, Sweden.

With F&B Sweden as the global lead office, the partnership with Polestar involves the agency’s New York, Shanghai and Montreal offices to further develop and activate the campaign across regions.

About Polestar

Polestar was established as a new, standalone Swedish premium electric vehicle manufacturer in 2017. Founded by Volvo Cars and Geely Holding,Polestar enjoys specific technological and engineering synergies with Volvo Cars and benefits from significant economies of scale as a result.

The company is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, and its vehicles are currently available and on the road in 14global markets across Europe, North America and China. In 2021, Polestar is expanding into eight additionalnew markets in Europe, the middle East and Asia Pacific. Polestar cars are currently manufactured in two facilities in China, with additional future manufacturing planned in the USA.

In September 2021, Polestar announced its intention to list as a public company on the Nasdaq in a business combination agreement with Gores Guggenheim, Inc. Full information on this definitive agreement can be found here.

Polestar produces two electric performance cars. The Polestar 1 is a low-volume electric performance hybrid GT with a carbon fibre body, 609 hp, 1,000 Nm and an electric-only range of 124 km (WLTP) – the longest of any hybrid car in the world. With production coming to an end late in 2021, Polestar 1 has established itself as a truly exclusive driver’s car.

The Polestar 2 electric performance fastback is the company’s first fully electric, high volume car. The Polestar 2 model range includes three variants with a combination of long- and standard range batteries as large as 78 kWh, and dual- and single-motor powertrains with as much as 300 kW / 408 hp and 660 Nm.

In the future, the Polestar 3 electric performance SUV is expected tojoin the portfolio, as well as the Precept – a design study vehicle released in 2020 that is under development for future production. Precept showcases the brand’s future vision in terms of sustainability, digital technology and design. In April 2021, Polestar announced the important goal of creating a truly climate-neutral car by 2030.