Previously, Tesla did not allocate any funds toward advertising its products. However, in a shareholder meeting last May, CEO Elon Musk announced plans to dip the company’s toes into the realm of advertising.

Now, one of the first-ever Tesla advertising campaigns has been spotted at an airport in Japan.

A video shared on X (formerly Twitter) shows a series of Tesla advertisements displayed on a row of screens at Tokyo Haneda International Airport. The Tesla advertising campaign covered various topics such as the Tesla Model Y, the Autopilot system, Superchargers, Camp Mode, and more.

Each advertisement on the side-by-side screens featured a QR code that viewers could scan to directly access the automaker’s website. Check out the video for yourself below.

This news follows ongoing discussions on how much Tesla should invest in advertising. In the May meeting, Musk said that Tesla’s advertising efforts would be limited. However, many analysts believe that Tesla should make advertising a major priority.

One notable advocate for advertising Tesla is Future Fund managing partner Gary Black. In April, Black suggested that Tesla should educate its audience about its vehicles through ads, especially considering the price cuts across its entire lineup.

Black has argued that Tesla can enhance its perception by emphasizing the decreasing costs of its vehicles to consumers. Black has also stressed the importance of the company adopting a public relations approach, particularly when addressing false stories in traditional news sources.

In a column earlier this week, Al Root at Barron’s echoed Black’s comments.

In 2020, Tesla made a bold move by dissolving its public relations department. According to Teslarati, Tesla is the only automaker in history to have no public relations arm.

Until now, Tesla has primarily relied on word-of-mouth to increase its car sales. The company has also leveraged Musk’s massive audience on X.

However, with the new ad campaign in Japan, it looks like Musk is finally recognizing the limitations of not doing traditional marketing.

Image Source: Omar, https://shorturl.at/bEV19