Feeling Safe Isn't Just About Seatbelts and Airbags, Volvo Says

AKQA and Grey have partnered with Volvo Cars to develop a new brand platform, “For Life.” The work builds on the nameplate’s long-standing reputation for safety.

“We’ve all been taught that the safety net is merely there to protect us when we fall. But, in fact, it carries deeper importance, giving us the confidence to take flight and create progress,” says AKQA global CCO Peter Lund.

The centerpiece ad starts with passengers entering various cars, looking around anxiously and receiving reassurance. Then it expands to a cinematic feast of touching anxieties: A child who fears the ocean, a kid at the top of a giant skateboard ramp, an athlete about to run without being able to see.

Many of these folks are noteworthy in their own right: Swedish pop star Seinabo Sey, Paralympian Lui Cuiqing and professional skateboarder Sky Brown. But in “For Life,” they’re just nervous humans, alone until they realize they’re not.

The work crests with these subjects finding the strength to make their advance, once support appears, and ends with each confidently buckling up. There’s also a quick flashback to the Volvo EX90’s new safety features.

“We have an ambition to be pioneers in the protection of people and the planet,” explains Andreas Malm, creative director at Volvo Cars. “We hope to bring to life safety beyond the traditional sense and highlight how you only can live life truly free when you both are and feel safe. A true consumer benefit in the 21st century.”

The initiative also boasts a set of provocative prompts titled “The Questions of Safety.” Some of these include “Is joy a safety hazard?” and “Can love steer you wrong?” Such invitations for people to share how life affects their capacity to drive will provide the brand with fresh insights. Volvo’s R&D team hopes they will potentially inspire research and products.

“In a world where people are seeking safety in all forms, we are incredibly proud and privileged to be part of this continuous-learning journey together with Volvo Cars and AKQA,” says Laura Maness, global CEO at Grey. 

“At the heart of our partnership are brilliant, passionate and talented people with the hunger and drive to unlock insights, deepen our understanding and collectively inspire a safer world,” she says. “‘For Life’ speaks to the extraordinary power of cultivating psychological safety and putting mental health and emotional well-being at the center of everything we do.”

CREDITS

AKQA

Creative:
Peter Lund – Global Chief Creative Officer
Ander Hernando – Designer Director 
Laura Hunter – Associate Creative Director 
Sam Tablada – Senior Designer 
Sebastian Regfeldt – Senior Creative
Jesper Ståhl – Senior Creative
Simon Magnusson – Senior Copywriter
Linus Lövbacka – Senior Designer 
Anthony Penglase – Senior Product Designer 
Asim Bawa – Motion Designer 
Beverly Enrico – Associate Creative Technologist
Saga Westlund – Creative 
Ludvig Pehrson – Associate Creative Director 

Strategy:
Miriam Plon Sauer – Executive Strategy Director 

Client Service and Delivery:
Zoë Baker – Client Partner
Fredrik Stahre –  Associate Creative Director 
Natalie Conway – Account Manager

Tech:
Michael Carlisle – Group Technical Director
Florent Segouin – Creative Development Director
Mike Pires – Senior Art Director

UX:
Uros Petrevski – Strategic Design Director

GREY

Laura Jordan Bambach – President & CCO
Javi Campopiano – Worldwide CCO
Sam Haynes – Creative Director
John Gibson – Creative Director
Ed Hayne – Strategy Director
Gil Caldwell-Dunn – Strategy Director
Rob Gray – Business Director
Sam Dowling – Agency Senior Producer
Alicia Cordell – Agency Assistant Producer

Production Company: New-Land
Ben Turnbull – Production Company Produce
Sheila Johansson – Director