Many of us cannot remember a time when we didn't have the Internet. But for those of us who aren't Millennials, the Internet was a strange concept to understand back in the day.
There once was a time when videos didn't go viral, memes were not a thing and you could not check Facebook (because it didn't exist). The Internet back in its early days was waiting for your dial-up to connect and possibly sending an email.
Luckily, those days are well behind us, and email is pretty much part of our normal communication. But BMW is reminding us that the Internet was once a strange technology in its new Super Bowl commercial that introduces its new, high-tech car.
The ad features a clip from 1994 where a confused Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel try to explain what the Internet is.
"What is Internet anyway," Gumbel asks. "What, do you write to it like mail?"
In the clip, they were even confused about the meaning behind the "@" symbol, Couric thinking it represented "about" or "approximately."
BMW uses this clip to show that even though new technologies may need some time to get our heads around, they can change the world. Couric and Gumbel are then seen in the BMW i3, an all-electric vehicle, made primarily of carbon fiber and sustainable materials in its interior.
The two, just like in 1994, poke fun at the car, as they try to understand its new features.
"What do you mean there's nothing under the hood?" Gumbel says.
The two then discuss the wind aspect of the car, since it is built in a wind-powered factory. They then drive away, asking their assistant to explain what i3 is.
"Big ideas take a little getting used to," the ad reads. Watch the ful ad below.
