The Unboxing

Today, Volvo Cars has launched its new small fully electric SUV designed to have the smallest carbon footprint of any Volvo to date. As a company Volvo has always embodied the power of small, and as future generations urge companies and society to do more with less, Volvo Cars is betting big on the next small thing, the EX30.

With this ‘Small is Mighty’ philosophy Volvo partnered with AKQA to design a global launch showcasing the outsized impact of the car.

The launch opens with Volvo Cars CEO, Jim Rowan, who joined in March last year, introducing the new SUV in a whimsical play on the familiar unboxing trend. A mini, regular and giant Jim Rowan playfully highlights the key features of the EX30 in equally proportioned models of the car.

A brand both serious about safety and sustainability while not afraid to not take itself too seriously at the same time. Before premiering live to the world on YouTube, the film was teased across social, and through physical boxed-miniatures sent to select influencers to unbox live on launch day.

The space for the reveal event designed by AKQA in partnership with Universal Design Studio features the EX30 surrounded by an oversized Willy Wonker-esque world, with giant steering wheels and car seats floating in a vast exhibition space, making the visitor feel like they’ve been shrunk. Four immersive rooms bring visitors closer to the interiors – tactile, natural and reused materials – to highlight the sustainability focus of the car alongside dozens of small yet mighty innovations.

The playful narrative will continue with the global launch campaign for the EX30 produced together with Mill+. It follows a group of friends as they escape the city for the countryside, with the EX30 navigating through urban challenges, dipping in and out of real life and macro and mighty landscapes made from the materials of the car. Set to the Bettye Swann track, Little Things Mean a Lot, the car’s playful personality is met by an equally heartfelt sentiment from Volvo, as they continue to strive to lead the industry in protecting people and the planet.