The inaugural ad campaign from high-end electric scooter company Unagi features punk godfather Iggy Pop extolling the virtues of the zipping around on two carbon-emission-free wheels. “Unagi… I’d steal one… if I could,” Pop says in his instantly recognizable baritone in a slick 30-second spot shot at the rocker’s Miami home cued to The Stooges’ “Down on the Street” that dropped on Thursday morning (August 12).
Dressed in a black skinny jeans and a leather motorcycle jacket with no shirt, the 74 year-old ageless wonder walks around his house unfolding the scooter as he runs his hand along it and flicks on the headlight while the words “tough,” “timeless” and “road ready” flash on the screen — words that could easily apply to both.
“Maybe they should re-name it Un-Iggy,” he says at the end of the clip. In another promotional short, Pop says, “Unagi, experience euphoria without the psychedelics.”
“Like Iggy, Unagi values personal freedom and individuality,” said David Hyman, founder and CEO of the scooter company founded in 2018 in a statement. “That’s why we built the ideal personal liberation device with our Model 1 e-scooter. As a challenger brand, Iggy represents the spirit of Unagi and we’re happy to debut this campaign as part of an ongoing collaboration.”
The company counts Billie Eilish — who has her own custom design — Steve Aoki and Chance the Rapper as fans as well. The $990 scooters, which have a range up to 15 miles and top speed of 20 m.p.h., and are now also available through a $39-a-month subscription service called Unagi All Access.
Check out the ad below.
