When Volvo looked to tell the tech and design story of their Volvo XC60 Plug-in Hybrid to a YouTube audience, we knew that we needed to pair the car with a Creator that was just as innovative as the brand and car themselves.
As a continuation of larger marketing efforts, the brand was looking to drive awareness and celebrate features like: Google Android tech integration built-in, plug-in hybrid engine, air purification like none other, and the sleek design. And, they wanted to ensure that the creative would resonate with younger audiences as well… which insights signaled would take putting an emphasis on style.
Knowing that our desired audience responds well to art, technology, and culture, we turned to an endemic, successful YouTube format: music.
Inspired by the very deliberate sound design of a Volvo plus Volvo’s repeat success with music fueling the energy of their commercials, we knew we had all the right inspiration for a Creator to collaborate with the car itself to make something truly unique and one-of-a-kind. To bring the “the sounds of a Volvo” to life in a big way, we partnered with the multi-hyphenate Creator Andrew Huang (2.31M), a musician, producer, educator, and entertainer, with over 40+ albums that span genres. Known for his ability to create music across different genres and using unconventional “instruments” and sounds, we knew he’d be able to create a showstopper. Research showed that his audience was 9.8x more likely than the average person to watch tech content as well as music, making him the perfect pair for the Volvo XC60 Plug-in Hybrid.
Along with his friend, collaborator, and producer Keeley Bumford / @Dresage (10.5K) the duo produced… a hit. They planned out the track using pre-recorded sounds of the Volvo that each spoke to a unique feature of the car. Then, with a beat in mind, they epically brought it to life on set… using the Volvo XC60 as their primary instrument, allowing the exquisite design to steal the spotlight.
Andrew complemented the one of a kind :60 Volvo YouTube commercial with a dedicated video breaking down exactly how he and Desage made the beat, which brought fans into the fold to create a deeper level of engagement.
Through our ad brand lift study our 60 sec hero ad had a +5.7% lift, and across the campaign we had an average view through rate (VTR) for 59%, which is 48% higher than the auto industry benchmark (40%).
All in all, the campaign garnered over 25.6M impressions, 11.2M views, and drove over 7.8K clicks to Volvo.com, while it also received overwhelming positive engagement. Fans of the brand, the car and the Creators, showed that the audience wasn’t only entertained by the music approach, but that the video content significantly increased their consideration for the car itself.
calamityposting: This. is. insane. Nicely done everyone. This is a top tier ad.
mattt V: That electric seat adjustment bass is just killer!
Rock'n Code: As an Andrew Huang fan and XC60 owner, this has brought me joy. Awesome result!
Michael P: Hi Andrew I think this is one of the the best car commercial I’ve seen this year well done.
Murugeshan Swamy: This is one of the coolest thing i have heard it after a long time, so creative, the sound beat of the air purifier and door slamming was awesome
For a brand known to be cutting edge, this execution allowed Volvo to creatively express their new car, in a way that was authentic to the product story and their Creator partners - using entertainment to drive real consideration.
And the industry took note, too - like Adage, Autonews.com, and Mediapost.
