Behind EV maker Lucid’s first campaign from Giant Spoon

Lucid is channeling Muhammad Ali, Nina Simone and Neil Armstrong in the electric vehicle marketer’s largest campaign since it was founded eight years ago. The effort, called “Compromise Nothing,” positions Lucid as delivering driving range and performance without any trade-offs in an attempt to set it apart not just from other EVs but from vehicles of any kind.

“Why settle for the best EV when you can build the best damn car,” a voiceover states in an ad that mixes historical footage of Ali, Simone and Armstrong with scenes of a Lucid driving along an open road.

The campaign marks the debut campaign for Lucid from Giant Spoon, which was recently named the brand’s lead creative and strategic agency in the U.S., after a competitive review.

The ad mostly features the Lucid Air, a luxury sedan that first went on sale in 2021 (with 2025 model year pricing starting at $69,900). The spot also includes a cameo of the new Gravity crossover (at the 32-second mark), which recently went into production and has a starting price of $96,550, including shipping.

Lucid says the new work is its first full-fledged brand campaign. It has run national ads before, including in 2021 when it aired a spot from Erich & Kallman during a “Saturday Night Live” episode hosted by Elon Musk, CEO of competitor Tesla.

The media buy includes streaming services such as YouTube TV and Amazon Prime, with outdoor ads in New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Print ads will run in Car and Driver, Road & Track, Esquire, Autoweek and Town & Country.

While the brand has focused on “EV excellence,” technology and performance, “we’ve always had some challenges with connecting with a wider audience,” said Derek Jenkins, Lucid’s senior VP for design and brand. Lucid customers are “really passionate about technology, about innovation, sustainability—but they also did have a strong desire for something truly special and outstanding,” he added. With the new campaign, Lucid wanted to “distill all of that into a message that strikes at the emotional core of those types of customers.”

The inclusion of Ali, Simone and Armstrong in the ad is intended to portray the idea that Lucid is building EVs its way, without following any prescribed templates, said Jonathan Haber, cofounder of Giant Spoon.

“We’re not comparing the car to those people. Those people are their own icons,” Haber said. “But we were certainly inspired by the attitude and the ethos and what they accomplished in the world, and we feel like that’s kind of an inspiration point for the car.”

California-based Lucid Motors is among several EV startups taking on market leader Tesla and a rising number of EVs offered by traditional automakers. Lucid reported third-quarter revenue of $200 million and a net loss of $950 million. It says it is on pace to produce 9,000 vehicles in 2024. Given that relatively low amount, analysts say the forthcoming Gravity needs to be a hit, Automotive News has reported.