Articles

Volvo’s Consumer Driven Advertising Pushes Boundaries

An article posted January 2, 2007 on the Advertising Age website, by writer Jean Halliday, puts the spotlight on Volvo’s newest advertising campaign. The effort, begun in the U.K. last year and coming to the U.S. later this year, solicits people's opinions about the entry-level premium hatchback and is themed "product of free will." Volvo asks consumers whether they love or hate its all-new C30. The company does not shy away from showing those who slam the Volvo brand and goes so far as to show a theater audience booing and throwing tomatoes at a woman onstage unveiling the C30.

The quirky but cool website, found at volvocars.com/freewill, offers, among other things 16 short films that will also air on TV, said Tim Ellis, global advertising director of the Ford Motor Co. brand. Mr. Ellis is quoted in saying "we learned that people feel as if we are really talking directly to them, so they consume it and engage with it differently than other typical advertisements."

Volvo’s well researched idea is just another example of the trend towards consumer driven advertising. Consumers watch and rate each clip, then provide feedback on their opinion of the new C30. In return, Volvo gains valuable feedback on their campaign, but more importantly achieves their sole purpose “to get non-Volvo owners to think about and consider the C30”.

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Posted on January 1, 2007
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