On August 21, 2017, many people in North America witnessed the once in a lifetime solar eclipse, as the last time it occurred was over 99 years ago. The eclipse crossed what they called the "Path of Totality" as the sun moved from west to east, covering some parts of the United States.
Unsurprisingly, this phenomenon was used by automakers as some kind of marketing tool. For instance, Nissan used this natural event to introduce the Midnight Edition, or blacked out version of models like the Titan, Titan XD, and the Frontier. This is a limited edition blacked out livery of the said models. Volvo, on the other hand, used the solar eclipse to present a protective screen that people can stick on their XC60 SUV's sunroof.
Apart from Nissan and Volvo, other automakers like Land Rover, Mitsubishi, and Karma used the solar eclipse to as a backdrop of their cars. Having said that, all three companies brought out their cars to the field, photographing them during the event.
What Mitsubishi did was they traveled to Salem, Oregon with a couple of social influencers and their upcoming Eclipse Cross. They went there not just to view the solar eclipse but to take photographs of the CUV during the phenomenon. Francine Harsini, senior director of MMNA's marketing team said that it is an opportunity they could not miss. She even said in excitement that capturing this moment as they kick off the Eclipse Cross' campaign is monumental.
Land Rover thought of a similar idea as they got photographer Alex Strohl to take out the new Discovery from Salt Lake City to the Railroad Ridge in the middle of Sawtooth Natural forest. The three-day trip was worth it as Strohl used the solar eclipse as a backdrop for the car. One could only drive on the trail with an offroad vehicle rising from 6,000 to 10,000 feet in elevation. When looking at the photo, you have to admit that it is one of the best spots to capture the eclipse.
Karma will not get anyone ahead of them, as they brought the Revero luxury sedan to the Path of Totality for a series of photoshoots with the solar eclipse. Furthermore, they also produced a video that celebrates the event while also promoting their sedan. Karma's Chief Revenue Officer, Jim Taylor, said that this was the perfect opportunity for them to document this phenomenon and at the same time, create their own unique content for the brand.
After seeing all that, what do you have to say about the photos that were published by the car manufacturer, and who do you think got the most amazing shot?