From flying mice to grounded Volvos, brands react to Tesla’s flying car

Tesla has taken the Roadster to new heights. Quite literally.

Nearly a decade after first unveiling its second-generation Roadster, the automaker finally showed off the long-awaited vehicle, complete with thrusters that sent it briefly airborne and spinning through the air.

Naturally, the internet had thoughts, and brands had plenty to say too. As clips of Tesla's so-called "flying car" made the rounds online, social teams quickly jumped on the moment, putting their own products in the air, cracking jokes and, in the case of rival automakers, sneaking in a few cheeky jabs.

From playful product spoofs to some good old-fashioned automotive shade, brands wasted little time turning Tesla's take-off into their own marketing moment.

Don't miss: Samsung takes a bite at Apple as brands jump on the foldable iPhone 

1. Axe

Axe had its own theory about what was powering the world's first flying car. In an Instagram post, the brand teased "the secret behind the world's first flying car", before revealing several Axe products strapped to the underside of a vehicle, seemingly providing the thrust needed for take-off.

"The first flying, and the best smelling, car in the world," the brand quipped in its caption, putting a distinctly Axe spin on the flying car conversation.

2. Beautea Malaysia

Beautea Malaysia decided its products were ready for take-off too. The brand shared a video showing one of its products speeding down a road runway before lifting into the air, taking a quick flight and eventually coming back down for a smooth landing.

Who said flying was just for cars?

3. Carsome Malaysia

Carsome Malaysia gave the trend a go too, sharing an animated clip of a yellow car attempting its own runway take-off.

The brand joked that its editor was away watching a Hot Wheels show and asked followers to support the admin's best attempt. It added that while flying cars are not on Carsome's lot just yet, it has plenty that can handle the slightly less ambitious journeys to work, back home or on a weekend drive.

4. Chocolate Finance

Capitalising on the viral Tesla buzz, Chocolate Finance has unveiled a short AI-generated video showing a sports car soaring into the sky above a bustling Hong Kong street, accompanied by the tagline: "No hoops. Chocolate, a new place for your spare cash".

In conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Shawn Lam, head of social growth and partnerships, Chocolate Finance, said: "Everyone's Roadster jumps over something this week, and ours was happy to join in: up, flip, land, bow. The difference is what happens next. At Chocolate Finance you won't need any of that, because there's nothing to prove and nothing to jump through. No minimum spend, no tiered criteria, no lock-ins for returns on spare cash. That's No Hoops, and a new place for your spare cash."

5. Fly Norwegian

Fly Norwegian had a slight head start in the flying department. The airline shared an image of one of its planes in the sky, this time with thrusters attached to its underside.

"Oops, admin forgot we can already fly. But ours has toilets," the airline said in its caption, making its case for keeping things old-school.

6. HKTVmall 

Hong Kong eCommerce platform HKTVmall has also jumped on Tesla's latest flying model hype by imagining its delivery truck as a flying truck, delivering goods to customers on the same day.

Posted on Instagram, the AI-generated video shows an HKTVmall delivery truck taking to the air, throwing white smoke and mimicking Tesla's iconic flying model as it goes up a slope and flips at the end, delivering goods to different households. The video carries the message that HKTVmall offers same-day delivery, so users don't need to carry the goods themselves.

The post has received over 5,600 likes and 190 comments on Instagram, MARKETING-INTERACTIVE confirmed. A number of netizens have praised the speed and creativity of trendjacking on the Tesla flying model while infusing Hong Kong elements.

7. Hot FM 

Hot FM got in on the action with a video of a red car speeding down a runway before taking off with the help of its own thrusters.

The Malaysian radio station joked that it was not impressed by the flying car going viral, claiming it had already spotted one taking flight at Dataran.

8. Hot Wheels

Hot Wheels kept its response simple, sharing an image of one of its toy cars taking flight off a racetrack.

"We've been doing this since 1968," the brand said, pointing to its decades-long history of sending tiny cars up in the air.

9. IKEA Taiwan

IKEA Taiwan has taken a playful jab at Tesla's flying model, linking it and the testing slope to IKEA's "Lillabo" children's car toy set for the audience.

"All vehicles have undergone safety testing and are suitable for children. They are affordably priced, and the track is also available for purchase," the Facebook post reads. 

The post has received over 96,000 likes, 2,200 comments and 3,800 shares on Facebook, MARKETING-INTERACTIVE confirmed. While some netizens praised the creativity of IKEA's trendjacking, others humorously asked if the toys fly back and tidy themselves up.

10. MINI 

MINI dug into the archives for its response, sharing a black-and-white photo of one of its earlier models already off the ground.

"Flying solo since 1959. Nice to have company," the automaker said, delivering one of the more direct nods to Tesla.

11. Razer

Razer took the trend from the road to the desktop, sharing a video of one of its gaming mice attempting the same airborne stunt.

"Razer Project McFly V2??" the brand said, giving its mouse a fittingly futuristic upgrade.

12. Toblerone

Toblerone took a different route, turning its attention to one of the perks of air travel. The chocolate brand shared a post asking: "Do flying cars stop at duty free?"

13. Volvo

Volvo chose to keep its feet (or rather, wheels) firmly on the ground. The automaker shared an image of one of its cars alongside the words "Down to Earth. Since 1927."

"Since 1927, we've kept all four wheels on the ground," it added in the caption, taking a decidedly grounded approach to the flying car conversation.

14. Watsons Malaysia 

Watsons Malaysia took the flying car trend into retail, sharing an image of one of its stores flipped upside down at the end of a runway, with cars lining up in front of it.

The brand asked followers whether they would be up for a drive-through like this for its click-and-collect service, giving the trend a Watsons twist.

Related articles: 
These brands wasted no time celebrating Spain's World Cup win  
Brands scale the viral Empire State Building proposal with cheeky trendjacks   
Here are the brands strutting The Devil Wears Prada 2 runway