The craziest automotive debut I’ve ever seen is actively taking place in Venice, California. A brand new company — one reportedly partially-funded by Jeff Bezos — just showed its very first car for the very first time by… simply parking it on the side of the street. Yes, it’s an extremely trendy street in a popular part of the LA metro area, and yes the car was wrapped in an extremely strange livery for a fake service company that drives babies around on the car’s roof to get them to fall asleep, but still: This was a relatively subtle way to show a new company’s first car, and now there’s a new livery in place of “Cryshare”: It’s a Harry Potter-themed website called “gethexed.org.”
This is now the third livery that I’m aware of on a Slate car parked on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice — the first was a fake, bizarre cat-therapy service; the second was the aforementioned baby-driving service, and now we have a witch/Harry Potter-themed livery.
After tipster Tracy Moore emailed in a picture, I headed to Abbot Kinney and took a few shots of my own. Check it out:
You may recall in my previous article how excited I was when I saw the Slate just sitting on the side of the road (again, after a reader sent us a tip; please hit us up at tips@theautopian.com when you hear of cool car-things!). My headline read: “The New Slate SUV Reportedly Funded By Jeff Bezos Was Just Revealed In The Most Insane Way.”
And I still stand by that. This is not a functional car, no, so it’s not the full reveal of the production-intent car, but this is a design buck that represents how the car will look, and I know this because I’ve seen the production-intent design at the Slate HQ (all the good info is under embargo; sorry!). So yeah, when I learned that Slate was showing off what its car would look like by just wrapping it in something weird and placing it on the side of the road without saying a peep, I was really into it. This “guerilla marketing,” as some call it, is unique and different, and — above all — fun.
But not everyone agrees with me! My article was posted into Reddit’s r/cars and a person named CrispityCraspits was clearly not amused, writing:
It wasn’t revealed, this was just a viral teaser bullshit thing. It also was not a particularly insane viral stunt, given that it has been done before. what is actually insane is that it’s 2025 and people are still doing clickbait headlines.
What the hell?! What about that was clickbait? I just told you what I saw/thought! I responded saying as much but Mr. Craspits couldn’t be cheered up, replying with:
First I thought this comment was serious, then I thought it must be parody because it’s so cringe, then I checked your comment history and I realized it wasn’t parody. You’re not a journalist, you’re an influencer who maybe once worked as a journalist.
Damn, Mr. Craspits! You find an influencer who writes 10,000 word technical deep-dive-reviews! But I guess I’m also kinda an influencer — that’s it’s fine! More from Craspits:
To begin with, whatever you think of the stunt, your headline was 100% undeniably clickbait. (The answer did not surprise me, and I did guess what happened next.).
Mr. Craspits doubles down on the clickbait claim; he simply cannot fathom that I found such a debut — a quiet reveal of a brand new car from a brand new car company — to be insane. I’m not sure why. They go on:
Next, the stunt is not insane, it’s been done before with lots of things in an attempt to “go viral.” They dropped a shell (not the car) on a street with attention-getting wrap. To go viral, they merely seed it to social media and “friendly” journalists. Who then overhype the thing in an attempt to break through the clutter (we are here). The fact that marketing ghouls do this is normal if annoying; any “journalist” who participates and acts like it’s so insane is not to be trusted about anything. The rest of your comments in here just confirm that.
[…]
P.P.P.S. I am never going to watch your dumb reel.
[Editor’s Note: I wonder if that guy watched the reel? – JT]
[Editor’s Note: I like the crescent moon taillight masks – JT]
They then tell me this has been done before, when actually this is not at all common practice in the auto industry (teasers are, but a new company’s first car’s whole design quietly put out into public).
The rest of the comment gets weird and mean so I cut some of it but kept the bit about them saying they’re not gonna watch my dumb reel. Tell us how you really feel!
I understand how people are tired of marketing and brands and stunts and buzzwords and the like, but I still think this is cool, and I hope our friend Craspits finds Jesus or Allah or Raymond Loewy or Bob Seger or whatever they are looking for, because showing the design of your new company’s very first car by just parking it without a word is something worth getting excited about! When the car makes its full debut on Thursday, I bet everyone, even Craspits, will feel their pulse rise at least a few BPMs. It’s that bizarre of a car debut.
I’m going with Mercedes on this. Yeah, it’s a witches and warlocks sort of thing, but not really Harry Potter. Problem (or plus, for the Slate people) is that the Harry Potter franchise has become so embedded in the culture that anything along these lines is automatically linked with Ms. Rowling’s creations. Unless you put an overt reference to something else along these lines – maybe Margaret Hamilton on a bike with a little dog in the basket – it’s going to be seen as Harry Potter. But really, who cares? Even though marketing is about getting us all to buy crap we don’t need and can’t afford, that doesn’t mean that we can’t appreciate it when it’s done in a really creative and fun manner. Just look at many of the Progressive Insurance commercials.
Maybe a 2dr suv would be popular in 1992. 2025 says no. 4dr or go home.
David, you’re an engineer, serious question here. Using the Ford Maverick as a base which this sort of looks similar to sizewise – I’m guessing the Maverick currently has to sell for at least $25k to be remotely profitable and that’s while being built in Mexico pre-tariff. Now remove the engine/trans, add a motor and a battery pack of what size, maybe 75kWh usable? What’s the cost differential there for something actually created in the U.S. to avoid tariffs as much as possible? What’s the real cost of something like this with a realistic range (i.e. a range that Americans will buy). Can it even be done for under $40k per unit? Are readers here still lining up for it at $40k or more? Much higher than that and you start to run into Rivian’s next couple of products.
If they can keep this boxy, cheap, fun and pair it with a good charging strategy, it could be a wonderful successor to the Scion Xb / Honda Element crowd of yesterday.
It’s a good looking unit. That one looks better to me then the baby one. Maybe the color. Still really giving defenders vibes. If they meet the price they will sell well. So you have cat walkers, baby walkers, and hexers? Sky cleaner next?
My degree is in Marketing. Unfortunately, I was in too deep before I recognized that Marketing is the art/craft/science of manipulating people to buy crap they don’t need. The style of Marketing used here reminds me that I don’t need this.
Needs more emotional appeal. They need that guy from BDO.
I think it’s more of just a general witch-themed wrap. Harry Potter is a wizard and not exactly known for moonlight hexes. Besides, J.K. Rowling, who is famous for having such a kind heart (I hope your sarcasm detectors are working), wouldn’t be one to let this slide without demanding some mega bucks or calling in some lawyers.
Yes, lets call it “similar to, but legally distinct from, Harry Potter”
Not bad but I would go with wraps say ignore us. Nothing to see here. Go about your day leave me alone etc
I was going to suggest “fnord” but people might think it was a Ford thing.
Attitudinus LEVIOSUM.
That’s Harry Potter for “you all need to chill the f*ck out.”
I personally would have gone with “Witch, Please!” on the branding. We’re not selling to children…checks calendar…I mean full-grown adults who grew up on Harry Potter. Wait.
We have some of those commenters here, so I am eagerly awaiting the reveal and deets
They misspelled “Restoration” on that book spine.
That’s a new record time for me to move from extremely interested in a new car to hoping the whole thing crashes and burns.
oh, do tell?
Because I think this wasn’t necessarily Harry Potter but just witchy. You know that witches were a thing before Rowling came around, yeah?
Yes but the whole Harry Potter crowd doesn’t want to drive or work. They are advertising parachute jumps to people afraid of heights. Know your customer base.
As a 6th grader when the first book came out, I’m turning 40 this year. There are millennial grand parents at this point. Harry Potter “kids” are in their prime earning and child rearing years.
Honestly, I think David got his pop culture references wrong. This screams “wicked witch” to me, not Harry Potter. I mean, the wrap’s implication is that you can hire a witch to put a hex on someone under moonlight. Admittedly, it’s been a very long time since I last associated myself with that universe (for obvious reason), but I don’t recall Mr. Potter being famous for putting hexes on people. 🙂
This is the pickup with a cap on it, right? Not a 4/5 passenger CUV.
If it is the CUV then 2 doors is going to kill it stone dead. There are probably more Uber drivers using Bolts alone, on the road at this moment, than internet car guys who would actually buy a 2 door electric CUV over its entire production run.
A 2 door SUV can be done, but not with those doors. Those are the doors from the pickup and they’re waaaay too short to allow access to a second row of seating.
The proportions of this give away that a 4-door version will be available as well. This 2-door version may be the cheapest option and not even have a second row. If those rear side windows hinge upward it would make for nice service-body-style storage.
we gonna fin’ out soooooon
I’ll be relieved if and when this thing is actually for sale for $25K (heck, even $30 for the Landy Disco SUV version would be OK). But it’s going to be a while before anyone can actually buy them for anywhere near that price methinks.
I’m thinking $50K
“Gorilla marketing”: Different wrap or one of the old “Trunk Monkey” ads? Guerilla marketing: This is probably what you mean.
JT is too kind an editor; anybody else would have gone apeshit over that.
Brown Car Society approved.
“guerilla marketing”
I thought David would have learned it from the old lighting site or even keeping the sections clear around here, don’t feed the trolls!
Also viral marketing used to be very big but don’t think a car company has done this before either. A bit refreshing.
And yes David is an influencer, he’s in you tube videos, he co-runs a car blog, if he came out tomorrow and said red cars are more fuel efficient people may believe him, and hopefully there’d be more red cars on the road, it’s a dangerous power to wield but wield it he does.
I’m guessing that person has just had a few too many bad days.
But about the car! I like the design language here, even if it sort of apes the Defender and the upcoming Jeep Recon.
For the price, it’s pretty damned sharp, and the van body is a great idea. If they came with a flat floor, a bench seat upfront, and a 200 mile range, this thing would be a mail carrier’s dream.