If you knew in advance that Forsman & Bodenfors’ ad for the Volvo XC60 was about its automatic emergency brake system, you’d also know what was coming.

But you don’t – at least the first time you watch it. So the ad is an exquisite story about a child imagining her future life, seen through her mother’s eyes and enriched with her mother’s (verbal and visual) observations.

Until the dramatic surprise ending. The surprise – given that you’ve probably already seen several ads about lives altered horribly by car accidents – is that this accident doesn’t happen.

Instead, the three-minute film ends with the line, Sometimes the moments that never happen, matter the most.

This clever twist work was created by writer Gustav Johansson and art directors Karl Risenfors and Andreas Malm, with direction by Johansson.

Volvo’s vision is to rid the world of car fatalities. That will mean 1.2 million people throughout the world will get to complete their lives. This ad is a reference ot that aim. As well as its autonomous braking system, the new XC60 has Oncoming Lane Mitigation, that uses steer assist to deflect head-on collisions and an updated Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) that co-ordinates with steer assist.

According to Volvo, there have been 45% fewer rear-enders due to its collision warning with autobrake system.

Malin Ekholm, vice president of Volvo Cars Safety Centre noted, “With the XC60, we are determined to take the next step in reducing avoidable collisions with the addition of steering support and assistance systems. At Volvo we take that extra step—we protect people inside and outside the car whenever possible.”

Credits:

Agency: Forsman & Bodenfors

Copywriter: Gustav Johansson

Art directors: Karl Risenfors & Andreas Malm

Account director: Anders Bothén

Account manager: Ewa Edlund

Graphic designer: Martin Joelsson

PR strategist: Bjarne Darwall

Agency producer: Jim Elfving

Production company: New Land

Director: Gustav Johansson

Executive producer: Therese Engberg

DoP: Chayse Irvin