Tesla Cybertruck Window Shattered During 2019 Reveal Sparks Marketing Debate

During the 2019 reveal of Tesla's Cybertruck, chief designer Franz von Holzhausen threw steel balls at the vehicle's 'armor glass' windows, which unexpectedly shattered, creating an awkward moment for CEO Elon Musk and causing Tesla's stock to drop over 5% the following day. Despite the mishap, von Holzhausen and Tesla embraced the incident as a "great meme" and a valuable marketing moment, even selling T-shirts featuring the broken-glass design to capitalize on the global attention. Musk acknowledged the need for improvements but highlighted that the balls did not penetrate the windows, maintaining the vehicle's safety pitch. The incident, described as a "Murphy's law" moment by von Holzhausen, paradoxically boosted the Cybertruck’s spotlight, with Musk reporting over 200,000 orders shortly after the launch. However, the Cybertruck has faced production delays and price increases since, with sales remaining slow amid recalls of nearly all units produced. Overall, the window-shattering event, while a public relations stumble, was turned into an effective promotional opportunity by Tesla’s leadership.