Volvo’s charming EX30 unboxing imagines the small electric SUV in a miniature world

A car as meticulously designed as Volvo’s EX30 deserves marketing that’s equally high level—and AKQA delivers it, in a lighthearted way, with a six-minute “unboxing” video that’s charming from start to finish. The EX90 is Volvo’s smallest electric SUV, and the automaker—which has always embodied the power of small—celebrates that in style through AKQA’s video. It begins with Volvo Cars CEO Jim Rowan wheeling a tiny box into an empty white room. The box is barely the size of a large brick. Rowan places it on a table, and soon it unfolds to reveal a pint-size version of the EX30. It’s clear already that we’re in for a fun ride. The fairy-tale-like magical realism of the concept, brought to life nicely in the design, makes all the explaining of the product features—usually quite tedious—much more palatable. As visually fun as the piece is, the writing is also sharp and inviting. And as CEOs go, Rowan proves himself to be adept and approachable as well. The video is part of a larger AKQA campaign that includes physical boxed-miniatures sent to select influencers and an IRL reveal event—designed by AKQA in partnership with Universal Design Studio—with the EX30 surrounded by an oversized Willy Wonka-esque world, where the visitors feel like they’ve been shrunk. Forthcoming is an ad, developed with with Mill+, that follows a group of friends escaping the city for the countryside in an EX30, with similarly fantastical elements scattered throughout. The spot will be set to the Bettye Swann track “Little Things Mean a Lot.” “The future of Volvo Cars is shaping up to be incredibly exciting, finding a way forward where we do more with less,” said AKQA chief creative officer Peter Lund. “The EX30 launch event and campaign encapsulates the innovation and commitment to think big with their smallest SUV yet. We are honored to partner with Volvo on bringing the EX30’s small but mighty sentiment to life.”

Volvo’s charming EX30 unboxing imagines the small electric SUV in a miniature world

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