THE ‘EPIC SPLIT’ TO BE SHOWN AT THE PALAIS DU LOUVRE IN PARIS
Volvo Trucks’ live test film, the ‘Epic Split’ featuring Jean-Claude Van Damme, has already been viewed more than 68 million times on YouTube since its launch in November 2013. Now it will also be available for visitors to La Musée de la Publicité at the Palais du Louvre in Paris, France.
The museum contacted Volvo Trucks just a week after the launch of the ‘Epic Split’, asking if it would be possible to exhibit the film. As of today it is available to all visitors as part of the museum’s permanent collection.
“We are delighted. It is unusual to be approached by a museum like this, and we see this as proof of the extraordinary qualities of the film,” says Lars Terling, Head of Marketing Communications at Volvo Trucks.
“Enormously impacted the world”
La Musée de la Publicité is the world’s first advertising museum, according to the museum itself. Since 1999 it has built a collection of advertising material with the aim of preserving and educating researchers, students and the public alike.
“Some of the contemporary world’s most brilliant thinkers and artists have been involved in advertising. There is no denying that it is a medium that has had an enormous impact on the modern world,” says Axelle Baroin, the person responsible for the collection of commercials at the museum.
Innovative and wonderful
One part of the museum’s collection consists of films, which are chosen according to various criteria. According to Axelle Baroin, the choice is made depending on themes or planned exhibitions but may also spotlight films that achieve considerable success, receive many awards, or films that are just very strong in some way, for example through their story, staging or images.
“The ‘Epic Split’ quickly made a strong impression on the museum. It’s simply wonderful. The images are fabulous, the sequence is beautifully filmed. The idea is innovative in its drive to promote Volvo Trucks,” says Axelle Baroin.
The ‘Epic Split’ will be part of the permanent collection and available to all visitors, but it may also become part of future exhibitions, which the museum holds two to three times a year.
Great starting point in sales meetings
The ‘Epic Split’ is part of a series of films promoting new trucks from Volvo. Each film highlights some innovative part of the new trucks – the ‘Epic Split’ focuses on the company’s ground-breaking steering technology – Volvo Dynamic Steering.
As Lars Terling explains, “The ‘Epic Split’ is our biggest communication success so far, with people all over the world watching it over and over again. It builds Volvo’s reputation worldwide, strengthens our brand and – most importantly – it has proven to be a great starting point for sales meetings at our dealers.”
