Rock group Europe and Volvo Cars forms a unique synthesis
Rock group Europe is releasing its new album. And Volvo Cars is releasing its all-new Volvo S60. This has created an opportunity for a unique synthesis – with the rock group’s title track “Last Look at Eden” serving as the musical score for five films about the all-new Volvo S60.
“A great combination. A powerful car deserves powerful music. We are honoured to work with this Swedish institution,” says singer Joey Tempest.
According to Helene Cato, film and music director at Global Marketing, Volvo Cars: “We have a new strategy for our promotional films and television advertising, in which music plays a very important role. The feeling that the music conveys helps reinforce the message in the film.” Preparations for the films began more than four months ago.
Helene Cato and her colleague Anna Arbius, Senior Manager for Assets & Retail Communication, drew up the specification for what they wanted the end result to be. Together with their agency partners they soon decided on Swedish rock group Europe. The band had recently released a new album – “Last Look at Eden” – and it had just the right sound.
“The first time I heard the title track, I knew straight away that this was it. The music had exactly the pulse we wanted. The fact that Europe is a Swedish group was of course yet another advantage,” recalls Helene Cato.
“What is more, the timing was perfect. We’re launching a new car at the same time as Europe is making something of a comeback. However, one precondition is naturally that the people we want to work with must actually want to cooperate with Volvo Cars,” explains Anna Arbius.
Discussions got under way with Europe via Volvo Cars’ music agency, Blixten & Co. Europe, which is Sweden’s largest-ever rock band with more than 20 million albums sold and with a musical career that got under way back in 1978, accepted. “Our music has been used before for similar projects but this collaboration is unique due to the fact that brand-new music has been used,” says Joey Tempest.
All told, Volvo Cars produced five S60 films, each about two minutes long. They showcase different themes relating to the new car – performance, design, safety in general, the new model’s special safety systems, and infotainment.
The lead role in the films is played by an all-new Volvo S60 in the edgy new colour ‘Vibrant Copper’. The car shows off its sculpted, sporty lines, its alert performance and all its safety technology in clean, sun-drenched surroundings.
“The collaboration was professional and quick and the result terrific. ‘Last Look at Eden’ fits perfectly,” says Joey Tempest.
The five films had their premiere showing at the same time as the wraps were pulled off the all-new Volvo S60 at the motor show in Geneva, Switzerland on March 2.
The collaboration with Europe is a big part of Volvo Cars’ dramatic marketing campaign around the new Volvo S60. The campaign focuses on design, creativity and daring to be different (see related release on matching your nail polish with your car and the S60 “naughty Volvo” marketing campaign!).
Volvo dealers worldwide will be able to use the films in their showrooms. The films will also run at international motor shows. And they have also been placed on the Internet.
Visit the local Volvo Cars website at
or www.naughty.volvocars.co.za to view the S60 films.
Europe released ‘Last Look at Eden’ in September last year. In November 2009 the group started on a world tour that will take them through to summer 2010. The world tour will end with concerts at a number of venues in Sweden. “We hope this collaboration can spread our music to an even wider audience,” says Joey Tempest.
