It can be a little difficult to associate emotion with a car brand. Some brands have had consistent marketing strategies that help to invoke emotion; some examples would be BMW with Sheer Driving Pleasure or Audi with Vorsprung Durch Technik, but it’s an art that’s seemingly lost in recent years. Mazda’s brief attempt with their Driving Matters campaign doesn’t seem to have as much impact as they hoped for, and Toyota’s marketing feels a little forced at times when pushing Akio Toyoda’s “Fun to Drive, Again” agenda.
Emotion isn’t strictly necessary when it comes to selling cars. Most consumers will care more about what they get for their money, the prestige and the value, followed by practicality and comfort and performance. But rather surprisingly, the next brand we see attempting ’emotion’ is Volvo. They’ve been sneaking the odd commercial here and there, decidedly under the radar, perhaps for fear of potential backlash. And yet these commercials are the kinds of things that stick around in memory for years to come; it may not make you go out and buy a Volvo immediately, but it will have earned a little real-estate in your heart and your mind.
Volvo has always been known for safety, and unfortunately safety isn’t something that’s usually associated with emotion. More than that, safety has become so synonymous with Volvo that a lot of people take it for granted. With this newest commercial, they’re looking at life itself- and they want you to “live fully, now”. It uses the tried-and-true monologue and montage formula, but it’s sure to tug at your heart strings no matter what demographic you sit in. The message is simple: get out there and experience life as it is, for if you are constantly worrying and waiting for the future you will never be able to enjoy the present- and of course, what better car to get out there with than a Volvo V90 Cross Country.
Keyword: Volvo Wants You To Live Fully, Now