Volvo Cars highlight the tough and relatable moments of being a parent in humorous global campaign

In their latest campaign for the Volvo XC60 and XC90, the premium carmaker highlights the safety features in their cars, through the eyes of hard-working parents.

It’s part of a new concept, ”For everyone’s safety”, in which Volvo focuses on safety for everyone, both inside and around the car, through groundbreaking safety technology. This is visualized through an emotional and humorous story as well as “parent saves” based on internet humor, where parents save their children from potentially dangerous situations at the very last second. It is launched in both digital and traditional media channels and PR.

The main campaign film shows a couple struggling to keep up with their two, active toddlers. We follow them to the store to buy more diapers and we see them secure their home from sharp corners, steep stairways and other hazards. Towards the end of the film, the mother drives her Volvo on a country road, but in a moment of sudden distraction, her car starts to drift towards the middle of the road. The car is gently steered back again by Volvo’s safety system, and the film ends with the message: ”The car that looks after you, like you look after others”.

”We want to show how the Volvo XC60 and XC90 are the ultimate family cars. That we understand how challenging being a parent can be, and Volvo is here to support them. The safety features in our cars are there to protect both you and the ones you love, and we think this campaign shows that in both a humorous and relatable way”, said Louise Ahlström, Brand project manager at Volvo Cars.

Globally renowned Swedish actor Fares Fares plays the role of the father in the film. Fares, known for his roles in TV-series Westworld and Chernobyl as well as Star Wars film Rogue One, is himself a father of a one-year-old son.

“As a father of a one-year-old I truly identify myself with these scenes. Your entire world is centered around the kids, in my case Ziggy. We secure our home just like in the film, we shop for diapers and baby food and make sure he doesn’t get hurt by anything. It was fun shooting the films together with Volvo and show how the car can help avoid dangerous situations, just like parents help their kids”, said Fares Fares.

The role of the mother is played by Swedish actress Ana Gil de Melo Nascimento, known for her roles in numerous Swedish TV series and films, e.g. Berts dagbok and Jordskott. She’s currently starring in two major films as well as plays on The Royal Dramatic Theatre, “Dramaten”, in Stockholm, Sweden.

In the film’s background, U.S. singer-songwriter Pete Seeger performs his classic ”Hard times in the mill” from the 1956 record ”American Industrial Ballads”.

In addition to the humorous film, the campaign uses real-world clips from social media channels, in which children suddenly find themselves in potentially dangerous situations, but are quickly saved by their parents. The clips are part of Volvo Car’s activation in their social media channels, also highlighting the company’s focus on safety.

The campaign runs globally, starting off in European markets on September 1st, followed by the U.S., China and more markets during the fall of 2020. The film was shot in Stockholm, Sweden, in July 2020, with all precautions taken with respect to the covid-19 pandemic.