ZAP Ad 'Parking Karma' Recognized at Cannes Advertising Awards

SANTA ROSA, Calif., July 8 -- A tiny electric car made a big impression at the Cannes Advertising Awards in an ad titled "Hello, Parking Karma" from the creative team of David Swope and Neil Levy and electric car maker ZAP (BULLETIN BOARD: ZAPZ) .

The Cannes Advertising Awards features the world's best advertising across press, outdoor, cyber, film, media and direct media. ZAP's ad was acknowledged in Cannes' 'Press' Shortlist under Automotive. The winners and short lists sections are online at http://www.canneslions.com/ until July 12, 2004.

ZAP's ad pokes fun at SUVs, while introducing its new compact electric WORLDCAR L.U.V.(TM) (Light Utility Vehicle). One poster shows a fallen tree crushing two SUVs while sparing the smaller ZAP car between them with a headline, "Hello, Parking Karma." A second in the series shows a line of birds on a wire above a parking lot. The only car left 'untouched' is the ZAPCAR(TM) near the headline, "Nature Thanks You."

ZAP says the ad campaign is intended to generate consumer interest while attracting independent auto dealers to sign up for ZAP's new car dealer network, the focus for 2004. ZAP is organizing placements for the ads with trade publications, media companies, and on the Internet, as well as postcard and poster campaigns.

Photographer Curtis Myers took several hundred photos, which he and Art Director Swope then digitally composited to create the final images.

"To stand out in the crowd, we needed to make car ads that didn't look like traditional car ads," says Swope. He notes, "We'll probably never get invited to work on the Hummer account."

Copywriter Levy adds, "It's a great product, and it's been an amazing opportunity. We hope our efforts will give the automobile industry as well as the world a wake up call about the viability of electric vehicles."

Myers says, "From a production angle, this was a very challenging campaign because of the limited budget." He spent several days retouching the shots. "We made it work through gumption and hours of digital work. Nothing great comes easy and I think that's why the feedback we've received is so strong."

David Swope and Neil Levy are a San Francisco-based freelance advertising team. Together, they have over 20 years' experience, creating integrated branding for consumer and business-to-business accounts.

Curtis Myers Photography (www.curtismyers.com) specializes in advertising location photography, as well as digital post-production. His work has been featured in national magazines for Fortune 500 corporations.

About ZAP

ZAP has been a leader in cleaner transportation technologies since 1994, delivering more than 85,000 vehicles to customers in more than 60 countries. A public company, ZAP is traded on the Over-the-Counter stock exchange under the symbol ZAPZ. The company offers a variety of advanced technology vehicles, including cars, bicycles, scooters, motorbikes, underwater scooters and more. For more information, visit http://www.zapworld.com/ or call +1-707-525-8658.