Start a business, they said. It’ll be fun, they said. Use a Tesla Cybertruck to tow a digital billboard for added attention, they said. While that first bit is generally regarded as an admirable thing to do, some influencers are trying to convince you of the last bit. But they’re also doing a terrible job at self-advertising by repeatedly crashing into things while calling the Tesla a scam.
In the Cyberstuck subreddit, a recent post reshares a video from My Pixel Bus, which is the fancy marketing name an influencer team dubbed its LED billboard-towing hypercolor-wrapped Cybertruck. However, rather than create positive hype for its fledging ad company, the owners offer complaints rather than praise.
Cybertrucks are a magnet for attention, so the business idea has merit. And if a massive screen flashing ads were behind one, it’s a safe bet such attention would move from one eyesore to another. The Southern California-based My Pixel Bus touts itself as “your new partner to help your business discover thousands of new customers,” but it also proudly claims “Reddit hates us.” Here’s why.
As with any billboard, the Pixel Bus is sizeable. The Cybertruck measures 70.5 inches tall with an overall length of 223.7 inches. The billboard trailer appears to be about the same length but nearly twice as tall. The combined presence is, well, unwieldy.
“As inconvenient and impractical the entire setup is, it did not disappoint when it comes to making people look,” said the video voiceover. “Any ad we put on there is definitely going to leave an impression, but was this trade-off worth it?”
Their conclusion: nope.
“This idea has been fucked up,” said My Pixel Bus co-founder Chi Ta. “Cyberfail.”
The Pixel Bus has a tendency to hit parking structures (ignoring vehicle limit signs, are we?) as well as hit itself. Due to a too-short trailer tongue, sharp turns lead to jackknifing that damages both the truck (ha) and the trailer. Is user error at play? Of course. But is the Cybertruck design partly to blame as well? Sure ‘nough. But you don’t have to take my word for it.
“All right, this Cybertruck is a big scam,” said one of My Pixel Bus’ co-founders. “There are so many issues with it. You can’t charge it anywhere, and when you make turns, the trailer damages the back of the car.”
He also says the charging hassle is worse than the damage because for every hour of driving, the Pixel Bus requires an hour of charging. This all happened on its maiden voyage, by the way. For businesses still interested in advertising with My Pixel Bus, there’s a half-off special of $750 for the first month. In return, you’d get 1,000 10-second flash ads on a mobile billboard that’s likely immobilized or crashed into something, which at least means more gawkers than a standard bus stand.
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