Volvo

Laying foundations for Volvo’s future

A major automotive brand looking to capture and communicate a shift in their brand – given the clarity and conviction that their name deserves

Setting the scene

We arrived on the scene when Volvo cars had just introduced a new design principle – curves. Problem was, while a new Volvo was starting to emerge from Gothenburg, but consumers still saw them as safe, boxy and boring.

With gutsy sales targets, and a strategy to build a premium brand to take on the German leaders, we had our work cut out. 

Defining the who

It was vital to define a new brand positioning to match this ambition and new direction – a territory that only Volvo can own. A space where beautiful Scandinavian design meets class-leading safety, captured in a brand with the intelligence and confidence to challenge convention and perceptions.

We unpicked a challenging brand architecture, then set about creating a new logo, visual identity and photography principles, all of which delivered a modern, premium, and most of all, Scandinavian look.

Proving it

We worked with Volvo’s brand team for over nine years – creating brand and communication to spark conversations, reposition the industry stalwart and build understanding of Volvo internally and externally.

This included communicating the new brand to teams across the globe, creating a series of tools to support them with activating the new positioning and identity.

Our global role wasn’t restricted to the customer expression of the brand, we also worked closely with HR, as they began to embed the brand in behaviour. We reprioritised Volvo’s brand values and communicated the change to all employees through communications and a new brand book and assets.

Along the way we created global communications toolkits, sub brand identity and communications as well as working with agencies around the world to ensure all communications were working hard to build the brand.

With Volvo now officially declared cool, we take huge pride in the foundations we set and the direction we pointed them in.