In recent weeks, London's streets have been inundated with cheeky posters and mock advertisements targeting Elon Musk, the billionaire polarizing public opinion globally. One particularly striking ad features Musk making a salute while popping from a Tesla, captioned “Goes from 0 to 1939 in 3 seconds,” with the cheeky tagline “Tesla. The Swasticar.”
Another creative installation depicts Musk standing beside former President Trump, promoting a fictitious feature on Teslas called “Now With White Power Steering.” Meanwhile, a faux movie poster in North London proclaims “The Fast and the Führer,” showcasing Musk saluting next to a Tesla, referring to his controversial leadership of a deficit-slicing federal agency under Trump.
This wave of mockery is not an isolated phenomenon in Britain; it channels a long-standing tradition of political satire, which has served as a critique of authority figures since the 18th century. Even outside the UK, awareness of Musk as a controversial figure continues to grow, as demonstrated by activists in Berlin who employed high-powered projectors to illuminate the side of a Tesla factory with “Heil Tesla,” paired with an image of Musk in a Nazi-like gesture.
In Italy, street artists have taken to depicting Musk without a mask to reveal a disguised Adolf Hitler beneath, branding it “Elon Mask.” While some protests have escalated into vandalism, the predominant form of dissent appears to cleverly employ humor, reflecting a broader unease with Musk and his political entanglements in both Europe and the U.S. The artistic resistance embodies a critical lens through which many are beginning to view not just Musk but the systemic issues tied to wealth, power, and political influence today.
Another creative installation depicts Musk standing beside former President Trump, promoting a fictitious feature on Teslas called “Now With White Power Steering.” Meanwhile, a faux movie poster in North London proclaims “The Fast and the Führer,” showcasing Musk saluting next to a Tesla, referring to his controversial leadership of a deficit-slicing federal agency under Trump.
This wave of mockery is not an isolated phenomenon in Britain; it channels a long-standing tradition of political satire, which has served as a critique of authority figures since the 18th century. Even outside the UK, awareness of Musk as a controversial figure continues to grow, as demonstrated by activists in Berlin who employed high-powered projectors to illuminate the side of a Tesla factory with “Heil Tesla,” paired with an image of Musk in a Nazi-like gesture.
In Italy, street artists have taken to depicting Musk without a mask to reveal a disguised Adolf Hitler beneath, branding it “Elon Mask.” While some protests have escalated into vandalism, the predominant form of dissent appears to cleverly employ humor, reflecting a broader unease with Musk and his political entanglements in both Europe and the U.S. The artistic resistance embodies a critical lens through which many are beginning to view not just Musk but the systemic issues tied to wealth, power, and political influence today.
