Seen Here: Cars.co.za takes a humorous approach to one of South Africa’s most familiar motoring frustrations with an AI-generated video imagining a car flying over a pothole-riddled road. Inspired by global conversations around futuristic vehicles, the creative campaign turns the idea of flying cars into a distinctly South African story, showing how technology, humour and local insight can bring brands closer to motorists. Photo Credit: Supplied
An AI-generated video imagining a car soaring over pothole-riddled roads has struck a chord with South African motorists, showing how brands can turn global trends into culturally relevant conversations.
JOHANNESBURG, 12 NOVEMBER 2026 – While the prospect of flying cars has long belonged to the world of science fiction, South African motorists have a more immediate reason to embrace the idea: escaping potholes.
That was the thinking behind a playful AI-generated video from automotive marketplace Cars.co.za, which turned a global conversation about futuristic motoring technology into a distinctly South African moment.
Following Elon Musk’s October unveiling of Tesla’s futuristic Roadster, social media quickly filled with AI-generated interpretations of what a world of flying vehicles might look like. From bypassing traffic congestion to imagining extraordinary parking manoeuvres, the internet embraced the possibilities with humour and creativity.
But in South Africa, where potholes remain a familiar frustration for motorists, the question was almost inevitable: what if cars could simply fly over them?
Cars.co.za brought that idea to life in a video showing a vehicle taking flight above a pothole-riddled South African road. The concept struck a relatable chord with local audiences, attracting enthusiastic online engagement and media attention, including coverage by Briefly.co.za.
The response demonstrated how a global automotive conversation could be transformed into something immediately recognisable to South African drivers.
When global trends meet local realities
For Nicole Capper-Austin, Chief Marketing Officer at Cars.co.za, the campaign illustrates the value of understanding the cultural context in which a brand operates.
“South Africans have an extraordinary ability to find humour in the things that frustrate us. We all know what it’s like to encounter a pothole that looks capable of swallowing your car. So, when the world started talking about flying cars, the South African application was almost obvious,” says Capper-Austin.
She believes brands do not always need to create conversations from scratch. Sometimes the stronger opportunity lies in identifying an existing cultural moment and finding an authentic way to participate.
“But what interests me most is how quickly a global conversation can become locally relevant. You don’t always need to create the conversation. Sometimes the opportunity is to understand what people are already talking about and find a way to participate that feels authentic to your brand,” she adds.
For a country where road conditions are a regular part of the motoring conversation, the flying-car concept offered a humorous escape from a challenge familiar to countless drivers.
It also demonstrated how automotive content can move beyond vehicle specifications, reviews and purchasing decisions to engage with the everyday experiences that shape motorists’ relationship with their cars.
AI creates the possibilities, but insight creates the connection
The growing accessibility of artificial intelligence is changing how brands approach creative content. Ideas that once required substantial production resources can increasingly be visualised and shared through AI-powered tools.
However, Capper-Austin believes technology alone does not guarantee meaningful engagement.
“AI gives us incredible new creative possibilities, but the technology isn’t the insight. The insight is knowing why something will resonate with people,” she says.
She distinguishes between brands that simply follow popular trends and those that understand how to connect them meaningfully with their audiences.
“There’s a difference between jumping onto a trend because everyone else is doing it and finding a genuine connection between that trend, your audience and your brand. The latter is where you create something people actually want to engage with.”
The Cars.co.za video illustrates that approach: an international automotive talking point was given a local identity through a familiar driving frustration, making the concept accessible to an audience that understands the joke without needing an explanation.
Beyond the laugh: Building a relationship with motorists
While the video offered a light-hearted take on South Africa’s road conditions, its broader significance lies in how automotive brands build relationships with consumers.
Buying a vehicle remains a major financial decision for many households. Consumers need reliable information about affordability, vehicle performance, safety, ownership costs and the models best suited to their lifestyles.
Cars.co.za operates within that decision-making environment, but Capper-Austin argues that being a trusted automotive brand does not mean every interaction has to be serious.
“People don’t experience brands in neat categories. They experience them alongside everything else happening in their lives, from news and entertainment to the frustrations of getting to work in the morning,” she says.
“At Cars.co.za, we’re part of people’s everyday relationship with cars. That includes the serious decisions about what to buy, what they can afford and what suits their lives. But it also includes the joy, the frustrations and the conversations that come with being a motorist in South Africa.”
She adds that humour can make a brand more approachable while reinforcing its understanding of the people it serves.
“Buying a car is a significant decision, and we take our responsibility to help consumers make informed choices seriously. But being a trusted brand doesn’t mean you have to be a serious brand every minute of the day. People connect with brands that understand them, and sometimes that connection begins with a shared laugh.”
Keeping South African motorists at the centre
The campaign ultimately reflects a straightforward principle: effective brand communication begins with understanding the audience.
For Cars.co.za, that means recognising that motorists engage with cars in different ways – from researching their next purchase and comparing models to navigating traffic, dealing with road conditions and sharing the lighter moments of driving.
“Ultimately, we’re here for South African motorists. Whether we’re helping someone choose their next car, understand the market or simply share a moment that every driver can relate to, the starting point is the same: understanding people’s lives,” says Capper-Austin.
“And until flying cars become an everyday reality, I suspect we’ll all be keeping a close eye on the road ahead,” she concludes.
For now, the technology may remain a futuristic prospect, but Cars.co.za has found a distinctly local way to imagine its most appealing application. In a country where potholes can test even the most patient driver, the idea of simply taking off and flying over the problem is certainly an entertaining one.
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