SKF uses AI and Greta Garbo in campaign to reduce friction
Bearing manufacturer SKF has launched a new campaign featuring an AI-recreated Greta Garbo to highlight magnetic bearings and a new payment model. The initiative aims to reduce energy consumption and promote sustainable solutions.
Bearing company SKF has launched a new global campaign using an AI-recreated Greta Garbo to showcase the company's friction-free magnetic bearings, aiming to significantly reduce industrial energy consumption.
The company is also reintroducing a payment structure dating back to 1919. This new model allows customers to finance technology investments through future energy savings. This addresses the challenge where approximately 20 percent of global energy is currently used to overcome friction in industrial processes.
"Our innovative magnetic bearings eliminate friction entirely," stated SKF President and CEO Rickard Gustafson. "However, we need to find new ways to lower adoption barriers and make the technology more accessible, just as we did a century ago."
The campaign revives the image of Greta Garbo, who appeared in SKF's early promotional films. The AI-generated Garbo highlights the benefits of magnetic bearings, such as reduced energy consumption, less wear, and lower maintenance costs. The technology is applied in areas like data centers and cooling systems.
By combining energy-efficient technology, digital intelligence, and new business models, SKF aims to accelerate the adoption of sustainable solutions and reduce investment barriers.