What I Saw Behind Tesla’s LA Fence Blew My Mind (and It’s Not a Car)
- Lars Silberbauer
- Jun 27
- 2 min read
Last night, while walking through Los Angeles, I passed the construction site of Tesla’s much-discussed new Supercharger hub - and yes, I admit it: I peeked through a hole in the fence and took the photo on the right. -->
Even though it’s not open yet, the site already tells a powerful story. Not just about electric vehicles or fast charging, but about where brand experiences are heading in a world where every touchpoint is an opportunity to connect emotionally.
A Charging Station… and So Much More
Tesla’s Hollywood location is being built as a 1950s-style futuristic diner meets drive-in cinema, wrapped in neon, nostalgia, and purpose. A place where you can:
Charge your car
Grab a burger
Watch a classic movie
And share the whole thing on Instagram
The concept is wild - but also incredibly strategic.
In many ways, this is infrastructure as brand theatre. It’s not a place you go just because you need to charge. It’s a place you go because it’s a moment. A destination.
And while Elon Musk remains a controversial and divisive figure, it doesn’t take away from the creative brilliance of this execution. Whether you admire his vision or question his methods, you can’t deny that this is one of the most imaginative brand environments to emerge in recent years.
Sometimes, we really do live in the right simulation 🙂
Why This Matters to Brand Builders
From a marketing and branding perspective, Tesla’s LA diner is a textbook case of how physical spaces can amplify brand identity and deepen emotional connection.
Here’s why it stands out:
🧭 Turning Dead Time into Brand Time
Charging a vehicle usually means waiting around—often in a nondescript parking lot or service area. Tesla flips this experience by transforming wait time into brand time: a rich, immersive environment filled with entertainment, food, and cultural flair.
🚙 Embedding Storytelling into Infrastructure
Instead of hiding infrastructure, Tesla puts it at the center of the story. The whole setup leans into classic Americana, a love letter to roadside diners and drive-in culture—but reimagined for the EV age.
🎥 Using Physical Space to Express Brand Identity
This isn’t just functional. It’s emotional. Experiential. Shareable. It’s the embodiment of Tesla’s identity: bold, tech-driven, culturally provocative, and always a little bit playful.
🏙️ The Bigger Trend: Branding in Physical Spaces
Tesla isn’t alone in recognizing the value of place-based branding. As more customer interactions move online, physical spaces are becoming more symbolic - a stage for brands to express identity, build emotional resonance, and create memory.
So What Can We Learn?
Not every brand needs to build a diner. Or a cinema. Or a Supercharger.
But every brand should be asking:
Where do our customers spend time?
What moments are we missing?
How can we turn passive interactions into emotional ones?
When done right, even a charging station becomes a brand-defining moment. That’s the power of experiential thinking.
And if the future of marketing involves burgers, neon, and electric cars, count me in.
👋 Curious about how to turn your own infrastructure or customer experience into a brand moment? Get in touch - I love this stuff.
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