It's Just Special

Two extremely picky brothers are hitching a ride in Åkestam Holst’s new global ad for Swedish truck giant Scania. Another Swedish giant provides the film’s soundtrack.

Stockholm-based Åkestam Holst NoA has been Scania’s global communications agency for a couple of years. This marks their first overarching brand campaign for the truck manufacturer.

The campaign’s main film tells the story of two hitchhiking brothers, stranded in a desert and in need of a lift. But despite their precarious situation, they refuse to settle for just any ride.

“Scania’s trucks are considered some of the greatest in the world. We wanted to lean into that premium position by reversing the old saying, beggars can’t be choosers” says Johannes Ivarsson Brane, creative at Åkestam Holst.

To strengthen the narrative and elevate the brothers’ bond, the film needed a powerful soundtrack. And since Scania is a Swedish brand, the choice naturally fell on fellow Swede Avicii and his 2013 hit Hey Brother.

After the song was rearranged and tailored to the film, the agency and the music supervisors began searching for the right voice. “The film is quite epic, and so is Avicii’s song. We felt the voice had to be at that level too,” says Joakim Khoury, Executive Creative Director at Åkestam Holst.

The final result will launch in late October: an almost two-minute-long film featuring Avicii’s Hey Brother – sung by Bryan Adams. The film is produced by Bacon and directed by Max Sherman.