Work, work, work. It’s the 21st century M.O. for almost anyone. Being busy at work is the 21st century status symbol. And it’s beginning to lose its sheen.
Volvo is making the most of the turning point in the attitudes of the ambitious. Perhaps shaping the turning point in the attitudes of the ambitious. Its new campaign for the V90 Cross Country is built on a 1959 speech, Live fully now, by philosopher and thinker, Alan Watts, that encourages people to rediscover their forgotten passions, rethink their priorities in life and live more in the moment…to enjoy the now.
Alan Watts (1915–1973) was a British philosopher, best known as an interpreter and populariser of Eastern philosophy for a Western audience. By the late sixties, he had become a counterculture celebrity, who travelled widely to speak across the US and Europe. He wrote 25 books and his audio library comprises more than 400 talks. Today, he has a huge following with podcast and YouTube components approaching ten million downloads. His ideas are particularly popular in the global outdoor community.
The message in the speech – and the ad – is very clear: You can’t live at all, unless you can live fully now. The ad follows four professional people who reconnect with their passions and their loved ones. Of course, the Volvo V90 Cross Countyr becomes the vehicle that enables them to rediscover their joys – surfing, fishing and outdoor photography.
The new campaign was built on research by Volvo Cars, shows that 6 out of 10 people globally want to spend more time in outdoor activities – with hiking, running and cycling topping the most-popular list. 68% of those who feel they can’t prioritise their hobbies, believe that their work takes up too much time in their life.
Thomas Andersson, Vice president global marketing, stated, “Most of us reach a point in life when we choose a career over being a ski bum or a surfer. For some people this can mean losing their sense of adventure as they settle into a comfortable life. This campaign reminds us that now is the time to reconnect with the people and passions we love so much and to live our lives to the fullest.
“Without clichéd images of rural terrain or off-road capabilities, the V90 Cross Country is presented as The Get Away Car, a perfect enabler that helps people get away from their busy lives to reach that much-sought-after work-life balance.”
Credits:
Creative Agency: Forsman & Bodenfors
Copywriters: Gustav Johansson & Pontus Caresten
Art directors: Staffan Lamm & Mathias Appelblad
Strategist: Bjarne Darwall
Producer: Lena Sellman
Account executive: Katarina Klofsten
Account Supervisor: Anders Bothén
Planner: My Troedsson
Production Company: Park Pictures
Director: Vincent Haycock
Producer: Tim Kerrison
Head of production: Sophie Hubble
Executive Producer: Stephen Brierley
DOP: Evan Prosofsky
Director: Vincent Haycock
Editing: Whitehouse Post, London
Grade: MPC (L.A. & London)
Music composer: Hanan Townshend
Media Agency: Mindshare
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