The brief was to come up with a creative idea that launched Volvo Car’s EX30 to market. And with their smallest SUV, Volvo Cars needed to attract a new audience. A younger generation who doesn’t see their car as a means of transportation, but a mirror of themselves. The objectives were:

1) attract a younger audience and position Volvo as a brand for the future of automotive.

2) to get as many leads and pre-orders as possible

Named "Trend-Driven Car Buyers", the new audience is younger than existing Volvo owners – an image-oriented segment for whom cars help shape their lifestyle and identity. They over-index on:

- They would pay significantly more for an environmentally friendly car

- They claim that the car brand they buy makes a statement about who they are – a reflection of their achievement and an extension of their personality.

Small is mighty. We dramatised how something small can be powerful by playing with scale and perspective throughout every touchpoint. The launch of the fully electric EX30 was of huge importance for Volvo Cars, so it came as a sizeable surprise when the company's CEO, Jim Rowan, lifted the lid of a shoebox to reveal their smallest ever SUV. The Unboxing was an unexpected play on scale, where three differently sized versions of the CEO took the YouTube live audience on a whimsical journey through the distilled features of the small but mighty car – proving how the EX30 is the best of Volvo, distilled into a smaller-than-ever package.

The live Unboxing then seamlessly merged with the physical event in Milan, assisted by influencers big and small, OOH, social assets and a global TVC – together giving the launch of something small, a mighty punch.

Normally a press launch in the automotive industry follows a very established script, having to be both information-packed and dialogue-heavy, in order to attract a new (younger) audience we needed lifestyle press to join in. So we ditched traditional formats to create a product drop, opening with our own take on the cultural phenomenon of a YouTube Unboxing. It unexpectedly transformed the reveal into something watchable, fun and entertaining. A 5 minutes and 53 seconds ride through a play on scale whimsical universe of the EX30 - Volvo’s smallest ever SUV, with the biggest impact.

Instead of just inviting press to a physical launch event (that would naturally limit the amount of non-automotive journalists) we extended the launch to an online press event. Furthermore we engaged with influencers from the technology and lifestyle areas to extend the message into social channels through invite only events.

The pre-reveal phase assets teased the small box which caused intrigue in both traditional and social media. When the day of the Big Reveal finally came, Volvo CEO Jim Rowan unboxed the EX30 live on YouTube, supported by influencers around the world doing the same. As the Unboxing concluded, the final scene saw Jim drive out of the box, which then seamlessly transitioned to him driving onto the stage of the IRL event in Milan, of course in the same sharp outfit. At the event, visitors got to experience tiny cars and massive details.

The play on scale then continued into the outside world, through mega billboards and mini car dealerships. Macro influencers creating micro content, and a global commercial traversing between the real world and a macro world with majestic landscapes made out of the car’s own recycled and renewed materials, to the soundtrack ‘Little Things’ by Bettye Swann.

The EX30 launch is now known within Volvo as the most successful launch in their history, as we went above all set targets for leads and preorders while attracting a new audience that will be crucial for the future of the company.

819M people reached in five days

Over 60% of coverage was news, tech and lifestyle (40% automotive)

+144% search volume vs previous car launches

Pre-orders above target

Attracting 80% new customer base

2.3M PDP views in first 5 days

1.1B people reached within first three weeks

3.2k articles and posts on traditional + social media first three weeks

15,000+ sales to date

Volvo set a historical monthly sales record in March 2024, with the EX30 accounting for over half of the big jump in volume. In April it became Volvo's best-selling car model in Europe, and best-selling fully electric car globally.