Commercial Critique

Moments

Foreman & Bodenfors, Gothenburg 

VOLVO CARS

This Volvo Cars commercial tells a story where two lives become parallel. It involves a dialogue a mother has with her daughter about her future dreams and aspirations. The young girl talks about how she wishes to make long term friendships, have a good education, travel the world, get into a relationship, and start a family. As she is walking to her first day of school, a women who is running late for work in a Volvo car, almost hits the young girl. But thanks to the front sensor of the car, the Volvo automatically stops and doesn’t harm the child at all.

This commercial was effective because it involved a storytelling narrative that had an emotional appeal. The way it was shot and the way it incorporated some common dreams a lot of people share (traveling, making friends, falling in love) it allowed the audience to feel attached to the young character and feel the same feelings she was feeling. So when the car almost hit her, there was that initial shock. But then it ends with a Gotcha! moment when it revealed that Volvo’s car has a sensor that automatically stops the car to prevent an accident. 

I hypothesize that the creative team used drones to shoot some of the overlook shots (in the desert and forest). The montage of shots as the music builds up blends together and creates harmony. This production technique adds to the effectiveness because it builds up the suspense to the climax. I believe the research and strategy team came up with some data that helped them understand what their target audience dreams of the most. They probably used that data to come up with those specific attributes in the ad. I also enjoyed the music selection as it was perfect for the build up. In addition, I congratulate them for incorporating people of color and LGBT to add some diversity and representation.