Volvo Sustainability Campaigns: Making Magnificent Advertising, Not Wallpaper
The volume of brands talking about sustainability has grown in the last few years. They draw from the same pool of actions – usually some combination of sourcing, operations, packaging, community support, renovation, innovation, and/or offsetting. It can be hard to differentiate between brands and even categories because they are all making similar claims.
Sustainability communication has become its own category in the same way that COVID-19 communication became its own category. One that is similarly disconnected from the brand while trying to tap into the human experience. Remember the wave of “here to help”, then “here for you” then “we’re all in this together” ads?
How do you cut through the clutter and show you are genuine? Where is your brand in all of this? And most important of all - have you made magnificent advertising?
The article draws on two Volvo Campaigns to illustrate effective sustainability communication that inspires without losing sight of the brand. We will cover this in three steps around getting fundamentals, execution and planning right.
The ads tested are called ‘Moment’ and ‘Ultimate Safety test’. Moment is a more ‘classical’ piece of communication that uses information to engage the viewer. ‘Ultimate Safety test’ is a roller-coaster ride of an ad with a shocking end.
They take very different storytelling approaches, but both deliver positive brand outcomes for Volvo and more specifically a strong association with caring about climate change.