‘Whoa!’ EV maker VinFast’s U.S. ad debut features Joey Lawrence, and his catchphrase

Joey Lawrence, well known around Hollywood as a car enthusiast, has never been a big fan of electric vehicles — he’s even publicly criticized Teslas for being poorly made. But now he’s found an EV automaker he can get behind.

The actor not only stars in Vietnamese EV maker VinFast’s first U.S. campaign, breaking this week, but he’s also revived his iconic catchphrase, “Whoa” — from the ’90s sitcom “Blossom” — as the central theme of the spot.

In the 60-second commercial, part of larger campaign created by the ad agency Acceleration, Lawrence is seen using the phrase repeatedly, and in different inflections, to marvel at VinFast’s VF8 electric crossover. The company delivered its first vehicles in California in March.

The spot, produced by Anaheim Studios and directed by Aaron Huisman, goes on to highlight the VF8’s eight body colors, Italian Pininfarina interior design, 10-year/unlimited battery warranty and various performance, technology, comfort and safety features.

Lawrence told Ad Age, an affiliate of Automotive News, that he agreed to partner with VinFast because he believed in the product and also in the creative approach. He likened the use of “Whoa” to how Mazda used “Zoom Zoom” for years.

“Obviously, ‘Whoa’ has been near and dear to my heart for 25 years now,” he said. “But I like that we’re having a little fun with it, using it in different ways, not just in the classic way that people know.”

After test-driving the vehicle, Lawrence said he was sold.

“The fit and finish is fantastic. It feels much more like you would expect of a premium-brand automobile,” he said. “One of the tests I’ve always done — if you can get your fingers in between the headliner and the windshield, that’s not a good sign. It means you can literally rip that thing right out. In a lot of very expensive EVs, you can do that, especially in one very famous one. I had one of those, and I hated it. This thing is great. It feels really secure.” 

One other road test that convinced him, he said, was that it goes over bumps like a non-EV vehicle.

“In a lot of EVs, you miss the weight of the engine in the front,” he said. “When you’re taking bumps, it feels a little tinny. This thing does not. It takes bumps like a Mercedes.” 

The campaign, called “Changing Lanes,” comes at a critical time for VinFast. The company began trading on the Nasdaq on Aug. 15 and is expanding its U.S. operations. It recently broke ground on a new EV factory in North Carolina — a $2 billion project that should see production start in 2025. 

“The VinFast team has worked tirelessly to bring new and unique EVs to the U.S. markets,” VinFast CEO Le Thi Thu Thuy said in a statement. “Our new U.S. marketing campaign, ‘Changing Lanes,’ highlights the VF 8’s eye-catching design, unparalleled warranty and long list of premium, smart features that come standard—an exceptional value for EV drivers seeking something different.”

The VF8 starts at $46,000, and VinFast is now taking reservations for a second model, the VF9.

“This is just the beginning,” said Lawrence. “The VF8 is cool, but the VF9 is sick — it’s so beautiful. I think they’re going to be around for a long time.”

Lawrence added that expects to do more VinFast spots in the future. “We’re just getting started,” he said. “There's a lot of fun that we can continue to have as we stretch the world of ‘Whoa.’”