The Super Bowl is a big annual occasion as far as ads are concerned - the trailer debuts and ad spend make for a story that easily rivals the on-field action.
While most of these ads are for movies and familiar brands, every so often one pops up that comes a bit more out of left field, and in some cases these happen multiple years running.
Case in point - technology group The Dawn Project returned for a second year in a row this year, with a 30-second ad spot targeted directly at Tesla, even while the company's owner Elon Musk sat in the crowd and watched the game.
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The ad centers on Tesla's Full Self-Driving beta, a software option that lets Tesla drivers test exactly what it sounds like - a self-driving mode for their car.
The mode is incredibly impressive in controlled environments and many real-world tests, but critics argue strongly that it shouldn't be allowed on public roads until it's 100% finished and safe, citing tests and investigations that have showcased alleged errors in the driving software's calculations.
The Dawn Project has been agitating on this front for a while, citing investigations around Full Self-Driving's approach to parked school buses and child pedestrians, and used the 2024 Super Bowl to again drive their point home.
If you're wondering how much these ads cost to place, you're on the right track, since it's estimated to total around $500,000 (the ad didn't air nationwide but in certain states). That's a big bill to try to make this argument, and the reaction on social media is quite a mixed bag.
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The Dawn Project's founder, Dan O'Dowd, posted about the ads on X (formerly Twitter), a platform also owned by Elon Musk, and the responses to his post were fairly hostile.
Given how high his public profile is right now, most stories involving Elon Musk do inspire polarised responses, so it's not a huge surprise to see this level of discussion.
Last year, Tesla recalled nearly all vehicles sold in the US, totalling more than 2 million, to update software and fix a defective system to ensure that drivers are paying attention when using Autopilot.
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The recall followed a two-year investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and covered models Y, S, 3 and X produced between October 5 2012, and December 7 last year.
Tesla did not concur with NHTSA’s analysis but agreed to the recall on December 5 in an effort to resolve the investigation.
Tesla also posted on X, formerly Twitter, previously to say safety is stronger when Autopilot is engaged.
Tesla has been contacted for comment.
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