Seen in Contagious Newsletter
What kind of a brand identity does Volvo have? Big, safe - the kind of vehicles you'd want your family securely nestled within when navigating an icy Swedish road at dusk? Perhaps it's the classless utilitarian appeal of owning a car which looks just as happy sitting outside the golf club as it does in the car park of your local Ikea, effortlessly swallowing up that new Jizz 3-piece bedroom suite you've just bought? Perhaps. However, admirable as these qualities are, they are not in the slightest bit funky, hip, or as MTV's Xzibit or Tim Westwood would say 'bang in ur face - straight blazin'. Quite.
All this is set to change though, thanks to a new campaign which has just launched in Sweden allowing potential customers to design their own Volvo C30. Before you get too excited, this doesn’t mean you can dream up a six-wheeled bubble-roofed monstrosity (anyone remember the ‘Homer’?) What you can do though, is choose from a selection of 20 different designs of applique film to cover every panel on the car. These include butterflies, zebra stripes, flames, wood-effect and even tweed and tartan. The film is guaranteed to last for two years - protecting the paintwork beneath as well as giving your Volvo that much-needed personal touch.
The fully integrated campaign utilises a dedicated microsite with possibly one of the most slick and intuitive car configurators we’ve seen in a while. Not only can you chop and change the different patterns on the bodywork, but there is also the option to specify different types of interior trim. Quite refreshingly, as you customise (or rather ‘pimp’) to your heart’s content, a running total of how much the car will cost is displayed to the side - ensuring no nasty surprises at a later stage.
A spokesperson from Volvo has confirmed that at present the campaign is restricted to Sweden. However, depending on how successful it proves to be in the brand’s homeland, we could well see it being adapted for other markets. Indeed, one particularly astute Contagious bod noticed (through slightly blurry eyes) the TV spot for the campaign being screened at the O2 Wireless festival last weekend in Hyde Park, London. It turns out that this was actually in support of their UK C30 Festival Moments campaign which is running for the entire summer.
At various events, including Hard Rock Calling, T in the Park and the V Festival, Volvo has set up their own super-cool Airstream trailer - decked out in lush, colourful designs similar to those available on applique film in the Swedish campaign. Revellers are then invited in to swing by and chill out on some deck chairs, enjoy some baked goods or check out the C30 itself, parked next to the psychedelically-daubed caravan. Pictures taken of the visitors are then upload to a website, where a lucky few are then entered into the Festival Moments hall of fame. Shine on Volvo, you crazy diamond.
http://www.c30festivalmoments.co.uk/
