Zap Ad “Parking Karma” Recognized At Cannes Advertising Awards

The creative team of David Swope and Neil Levy created a brilliant ad titled “Hello, Parking Karma” on behalf of electric car maker ZAP (Stock Symbol:ZAPZ).

It was one of only three U.S. ads in the Automotive Press category to make the Cannes Short List.

In addition to press, outdoor, cyber, film, media, and direct media, Cannes Advertising Awards recognize the world’s best advertising. Only three U.S. automotive print ads were shortlisted at the international award competition, including ZAP’s ad. A complete list of winners and short lists can be found online at

While introducing its compact electric WORLDCAR L.U.V.TM (Light Utility Vehicle), ZAP’s ad pokes fun at SUVs. In the poster, two SUVs are crushed by a fallen tree, sparing the smaller ZAP car. In the second poster, birds are shown fluttering over a parking lot on wires. “Nature Thanks You” is the headline on the ZAPCARTM, the only car left untouched.

In addition to attracting auto dealers for ZAP’s auto dealer network, the ad campaign is intended to generate consumer interest in advanced technology vehicles. In addition to postcard and poster campaigns, ZAP plans to place the ads in trade publications, media, and online.

The final images were created after Curtis Myers and Swope (www.swopecreative.com) digitally composited several hundred photographs.

The second ad in ZAP’s WORLDCAR campaign is called “Nature Thanks You” by Swope/Levy. “It was important that our car ads stood out from the crowd,” Swope says. The Hummer account is unlikely to be a project for us, but Copywriter Levy notes, “It’s a great product, and it has been an incredible experience.” Our aim is to wake the world up to the viability of electric vehicles through our efforts.”

The limited budget made this campaign a very challenging campaign from a production perspective, according to Myers, who spent several days retouching the shots. “We worked on it through gumprag and hours of digital work.” David Swope and Neil Levy, a freelance advertising team based in San Francisco, believe that nothing great comes easily. Their combined experience spans over 20 years, creating integrated brands for consumers and businesses. He has been featured in national magazines for Fortune 500 corporations in his work on advertising location photography, as well as digital post-production. Curtis Myers Photography (www.curtismyers.com) specializes in advertising location photography. About ZAP ZAP has been a leader in clean transportation technologies since 1994, delivering over 85,000 vehicles to customers in more than 60 countries. This company offers a wide range of advanced technology vehicles, including electric cars, bicycles, scooters, motorbikes, underwater scooters, and more, all listed on the Over-the-Counter stock exchange under the symbol ZAPZ.