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

AKQA partnered with Volvo to craft the six-minute video, in which Volvo Cars CEO Jim Rowan gives a playful tour of the vehicle

Published On
Jun 07, 2023
Volvo Cars CEO Jim Rowan pruning a tiny tree in a glass bowl with a tiny EX30 in it

Editor's Pick

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.”

Credits

Date
Jun 07, 2023
Client :
Volvo
Agency :
AKQA
Designer :
Adam Stark
Creative :
Fraser Cheetham
Art Director :
Andrew Lopez
Associate Designer :
Vi Dang
Production Designer :
Marika Gröning
Senior Copywriter :
Simon Magnusson
Senior Designer :
Fernando Lobina
Senior Motion Designer :
Doug Higman
Senior Designer :
Sam Tablada
Senior Creative :
Sebastian Regfeldt
Senior Creative :
Jesper Stahl
Senior Designer :
Linus Lövbacka
Senior Designer :
Eduarda Nieto
Senior Art Director :
Shiko Murai
Senior Art Director :
Anders Wiberg
Associate Creative Director :
David Svedenström
Associate Creative Director :
Sergio Faria
Associate Creative Director :
Laura Hunter
Designer Director :
Ander Hernando
Creative Director :
Oliver Duggan
Creative Director :
Axel Nygårds
Creative Director :
Pierre Saladin
Creative Director :
Jon Ward
Creative Director :
John Gibson
Creative Director :
Sam Haynes
Group Creative Director :
Miles Unwin
Chief Creative Officer :
Laura Visco
Global Chief Creative Officer :
Peter Lund
Associate Strategy Director :
Artur Johansson
Strategy Director :
Gil Caldwell-Dunn
Executive Strategy Director :
Miriam Plon Sauer
Project Manager :
Ebba Persson
Producer :
Valentina Piemontese
Account Manager :
Molly Norton
Senior Account Manager :
Nadia Vakhrusheva
Senior Account Manager :
Philip Hodgkinson
Senior Project Manager :
Vedrana Plestic
Senior Project Manager :
Nicolette Romano
Senior Project Manager :
Drew Popple
Project Manager :
Gaia Mancini
Senior Producer :
Pelle Westerback
Senior Producer :
John Kershaw
Senior Producer :
Josh Riordan
Associate Program Director :
Fredrik Stahre
Program Director :
Kym Adams
Production Director :
Oliver Creamer
Business Director :
Rob Gray
Group Account Director :
Maja Beckman
Client Partner :
Kate Armishaw
Client Partner :
Zoe Baker
User Experience Director :
Uros Petrevski
Creative Director :
Nick Rolls
Senior Designer :
Sara Mitrova
Designer :
Ellen Hurst
Designer :
Niels Hersmann
Designer :
Clara Janka
Designer :
Ashley Ward
Designer :
Alex Geal
3D Artist :
Marta Ferreiro
Junior 3D Artist :
Andrea Fogliani
Freelance Design Director :
Ivana Sehic
Freelance Designer :
Marie Magnien
Production Partner :
The Mill

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