'Don't Purchase A Swasticar' Advertising Campaign Aims at Musk in London | Carscoops

      Those assuming responsibility refer to this as an unexpected rebranding for Tesla amidst the ongoing controversy.

      

      A new protest against Tesla and Elon Musk has surfaced in London.

      The advertisement connects Musk and Tesla to Nazi ideology, labeling the brand's vehicles as "Swasticars."

      The organization behind the demonstration provides merchandise to support their agenda.

      The automotive news industry has always been filled with peculiar incidents, but in recent years, much of the eccentricity has stemmed from Elon Musk. No other automotive executive attracts as much attention as he does, and lately, it hasn't been for the reasons he would prefer. Following several questionable decisions made by Tesla's CEO, he has found himself at the center of yet another issue, this time featuring an advertising campaign that has caught the eye of Londoners. And no, it’s not another SpaceX launch.

      This latest issue has taken the shape of what seems to be a well-crafted advertising effort that has gone viral. Situated at the Pollard Row bus stop in London, UK, it has only been displayed for a brief period but is already garnering significant attention.

      “Goes From 0 To 1939 In 3 Seconds,” reads the ad, suggesting Musk's alleged admiration for Nazis and Adolf Hitler. Below the logo, there is an illustration of Musk and his now-famous gesture at a U.S. political event. A Model X is also featured with the phrase “Tesla The Swasticar” beneath Musk.

      The term ‘swasticar’ is increasingly being used by critics of Musk’s political stance. The group responsible for the ad sells merchandise, including stickers that say “Don’t Buy A Swasticar,” along with another depiction of Musk. They also reportedly offer the poster seen in London as a PDF on their website, although it hasn't been located.

      Importantly, the stickers and advertisement are not the only tactics employed by the activists. They have also taken a cardboard cutout of Musk striking that gesture to a Tesla dealership and placed it in the lobby. An online GoFundMe campaign aims to raise £10,000 (the current target), though its specific purpose is unclear.

      “We’ve put ‘don’t buy a swasticar’ stickers on hundreds of Teslas in London and brought a cardboard cutout of Elon Musk to a Tesla dealership – causing some customers to tell us to “f**k off” for being offended for some reason… We’re planning more – but we need to raise at least £20k to support our planned actions. Are you in?”

      The group has raised £9,252 from 500 donations so far, towards their £10,000 objective. Among the various protesting organizations, this one appears to have more lasting potential than most. Others seem to consist of individuals dissatisfied with Musk or small collectives making seemingly idle threats. Whether it results in additional stickers, more cardboard Musk figures, or just more chaos, remains to be seen—but it’s sure to be entertaining.