SKF revives Greta Garbo for AI-driven campaign on friction-free technology

Göteborg, Sweden – SKF has launched a new global campaign featuring a digitally recreated Greta Garbo, powered by artificial intelligence. Over a century after her first association with the company, the iconic actress serves as the face for SKF's latest initiative, promoting its new magnetic bearing technology that aims to eliminate friction entirely.

The campaign also revives SKF's original payment model from 1919. This approach allowed customers to finance their investments through the energy savings generated by the purchased technology. SKF is reintroducing this principle to make its next generation of energy-efficient technologies more accessible and speed up deployment.

"Industry faces increasing demands to reduce energy consumption, enhance competitiveness, and meet the needs of increasingly energy-intensive operations," said Rickard Gustafson, SKF President and CEO. "Our innovative levitating magnetic bearings completely eliminate friction. Just as a hundred years ago, we need to find new ways to lower implementation barriers and make this technology more accessible."

Per Nilsson, SKF's Global Communications and Brand Director, emphasized the need for innovative communication. "By bringing back Greta, we hope to open more eyes to frictionless and energy-saving technology. Sometimes we need to look back to find the best way forward," he stated. SKF's magnetic bearings are applied in energy-intensive applications such as data centers and cooling systems, reducing energy losses, component wear, and maintenance.

SKF aims to lower investment barriers and accelerate the adoption of more competitive and sustainable solutions by combining energy-efficient technology, digital intelligence, and new business models. The initiative was developed in collaboration with the Greta Garbo family and Harriet Brown & Company Inc.