You know what the Internet never gets tired of? Cat videos. In fact, we were so confident in that notion we decided to bring back Chevrolet’s unofficial live mascot, Walter, to help shine a light on the Silverado EV and just how easy it is to charge at home. (Insert GIF of Kathryn Hahn winking here.)
OK, if we’re being honest, that’s not entirely true. Sure, we wanted to give the world another glimpse at just how rad that truck is and make EVs feel more attainable, but our real motive was pure and simple: get social media clicks for cats.
So, rather than showing Walter out gallivanting with his dad and flaunting all his dog-like tricks again, we opted to pull back the curtain on what he gets up to when he’s left home alone all day. Spoiler alert: that boy is sneaky.
Have you ever sat back in your chair, looked toward the heavens and said, “this is my magnum opus?” Well, that’s pretty much what it was like telling Walter’s story. Over the course of three short videos produced for TikTok and Instagram, we presented Chevy fans with a view of Walter’s home through the perspective of security cameras situated in each room.
Upon seeing his dad depart for the day in the Silverado EV (we were selling trucks, after all), Chapter One began. Walter effortlessly escaped his enclosure to masquerade around the living room, and after a quick snackie, opted to use the… facilities. Cue Chapter Two. Having successfully flushed, a TP-clad Walter returned to the couch for a quick snooze, only to be rudely interrupted by the mailman. That’s ok, though. That’s what guard cats are for. Then, after making his way outside in Chapter Three, Walter was stunned to hear his dad pulling into the driveway. He scampered back inside, cleaned up his mess and jumped over his gate as if nothing ever happened.
CUT TO M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN-STYLE TWIST ENDING. THE GOOD KIND, THOUGH.
Walter’s dad, now parked in his Silverado EV, took out his phone to reveal he’d secretly been keeping an eye on Walter the entire time, revealing his adventures were anything but a secret.
We know what you’re thinking. One, that’s a heck of a good story. And two, that’s a lot of cat action (caction?) to film in a single day. You’d be correct on both counts. That’s why we recruited an army of five near-identical Walters to navigate all the jumps, sprints and dances required to properly showcase his skills. Was it a bit extra? Extra cute, maybe.
And with that, three professional-quality cat videos, with a hint of truck, were shared across the Internet to live out their days amidst fawning chuckles. Would we call ourselves heroes? We’re not sure. You tell us.
Considering we were on a very simple mission to generate impressions via cat content, the Walter series was quite the success. Across TikTok and Instagram, the three videos generated more than 267,000 organic views and 13,000 total engagements.
But why only look at the hard data? As long as Chevrolet’s TikTok and Instagram channels are standing (fingers crossed on the former), the entire Internet will be able to engage with the brand in a meaningful way, thoughtfully consume electric truck footage and rest easy knowing Walter lives in a loving home with enough napping surfaces for a gosh darn king.
In summary, you’re welcome, planet Earth.
