This Volvo commercial created for the New Zealand auto market is an exhilarating feat in human co-operation, as we watch professional stunt drivers take the Volvo for a blindfolded test drive. This TV spot works well because it has the stylized glossy feel that most auto maker ads feature but it mixes it with the reality and drama of the actual stunt.
Credits: Brand: Volvo New Zealand Agency: Special, Auckland Director: Paul Jones Account Director: Michael Redwood Creative Director: Rob Jack Creative Director: Tony Bradbourne Copywriter: Antony Wilson Art Director: Iain MacMillan Agency Producer: Fiona Champtaloup Account Manager: Jules Pakenham
Above is the Volvo "switch" ad, and below "intersection".
Credits: CLIENT, LOCATION, WEB SITE: Volvo Worldwide, Sweden, Volvo.com PRODUCT: Automobile NAME OF SPOTS: C70 “Switch”, C30 “Intersection” AGENCY: ARNOLD WORLDWIDE, Boston, Mass Chief Creative Officer: Pete Favat Creative Directors: Chris Carl, Stephen Ward Art Director: Luke Perkins, Rob Kottkamp Copywriter: Mike Howard, Will Chambliss Agency Producer: Bill Goodell Production Company: Park Pictures Director: Joaquin Baca-Asay Producer: Lalou Dammond Post Production: Bug Editorial Editor: Andre Betz Post Production: Brickyard VFX Colorist: Tim Masick, Co. 3 New York Licensed Music: C70 “Oh Boy” by Miss Li C30 Intersection: Opera Track “Muzettas Waltz” by Puccini (Licensed by Arnold (Music for Picture), Hip Hop Track “Slag under Baltet” by Petter (Licensed by VCC) Remix: C30 Intersection: Music For Picture, NY Engineer: Soundtrack, Mike Secher, Mike Letourneau Voiceover / Talent: Josh Hamilton Media Schedule: Cable and Cinema Launch Dates: C-30 January 2010, C-70 February 2010
Former CBS news anchor Walter Cronkite has passed away at 92. Although Cronkite was primarily known for his coverage of the JFK assassination, moon landing and the Vietnam war, he also enjoyed success in endurance racing with teammate and Volvo of Long Island dealer Art Riley. When Riley died earlier this year at 93, his obit briefly mentions Cronkite's involvement with the team and its successes behind the wheel of a Volvo PV444. The team campaigned and won races at Lime Rock's "Little LeMans" in 1957, '58 and '61. Cronkite was the only finisher in a five-car team one year, taking a B-division win and placing third overall. The two also teamed up to compete in the Trans-Canada rally. You can read Riley's full obit here, a look back on Cronkite's life here, and thanks to Mike Spinelli for bringing this little historical footnote to our attention.
Before its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show in early March, details have been released about the new Volvo XC60 crossover vehicle.
Buyers will be able to choose between three engines, including the turbocharged T6, which produces 281 horsepower. Other options include two different D5 turbodiesels, rated at 163 and 185 horsepower. The 163 hp 2.4-liter diesel is the only Euro5 compliant of the three.
Production of the compact premium SUV includes intelligent safety systems like City Safety, meant to assist the driver in avoiding low-speed impacts. The car automatically brakes if the driver does not react when closing in on a vehicle, at the very least reducing the effect of impact. This feature comes standard on the XC60, something Volvo claims is a first.
Volvo expects to sell 50,000 XC60s per year, with sales being heaviest in the US, Germany, Great Britain, Russia, and China. Being built in Ghent, Belgium, sales will begin in Europe during Fall 2008, with North American sales starting early next year.
In 1927, the year that Ford's fifteen-millionth Model T was produced, the first Volvo ÖV4 was built. On February 20th, Volvo will finally produces its 15 millionth car, a C70. The Swedish company has sold only 297 cars that first year. It took the company twenty-three years to produces its first 100,000 cars, and these days it'll build that many in about three months--but the iron symbol that graced the first ÖV4's radiator grille still decorates modern Volvos and the company's reputation for safety and reliability continues to attract a cadre of loyal customers.
Volvo's contributions to the industry include the three-point seatbelt, introduced on Volvo production cars in 1959, and the three-way catalytic converter in the mid-1970s. The iconic Volvo 240 sedan is still a common sight on U.S. and European roads fifteen years after production ended.
We showed you yesterday the first leaked images of the Volvo XC60 SUV, which will debut next month at the Geneva Motor Show. Today some new images of the SUV leaked onto internet.
Carscoop, who found the images around the internet today, claims to know a few more details about the XC60, including that it will get a turbocharged 3.0L V6 in Europe producing 285 horsepower, as well as a 2.4L turbo-diesel making either 163 hp or 185 hp.
We have previously reported that Volvo will be revealing the production version of its XC60 SUV at Geneva Motor Show next month. It was highly rumored that Volvo will be releasing the official images and press release of the SUV on February 20th, but it appears that the images have found their ways onto internet.
The Volvo XC60 Concept was first shown at the 2007 Detroit Motor Show, and in the past months various test mules were caught which gave us a good preview of the production version. The leaked images reveal that Volvo's new SUV stays as close as possible true to the concept, except for some missing curves on the side profile. No technical details were found anywhere, but BMW X3 rival is planned to go on sale during the second half of 2008.
The Volvo XC60 snapped by the spies while winter testing. The exciting new compact SUV will go on sale later in 2008. The car will likely make its official debut in Geneva.
Despite the heavy disguise it's clear to see that the car carries similar design cues to XC60 concept revealed at last year's Detroit show. The changes are pretty minor, the door handles change, the roofline appears to be a little higher, though still with the same profile.
