Volvo: Boxy but Good (and Safe)
August 1, 2007 by Susan Gunelius
Filed under Marketing
Remember that advertising slogan, ”Volvo: Boxy but Good,” from the movie Crazy People? In case you never saw it, Crazy People came out in 1990. The plot involved an advertising executive, played by Dudley Moore, who reaches his breaking point and has a breakdown landing him in a mental institution where his fellow patients help him recover his sanity and career.
One of the funniest parts of the movie includes a scene where the inmates help Dudley Moore’s character inject some truth-in-advertising to his campaigns. My favorite was a print ad recommendation for Volvo. The copy read:
Buy Volvos. They’re boxy, but they’re good. We know they’re not sexy. This is not a time to be sexy anyway with so many new diseases around. Be safe instead of sexy. Volvo: boxy but good.
The YouTube video clip below shows the scene where Dudley Moore brings his new advertising pitches to his boss played by Paul Reiser.
This imaginary advertising campaign for Volvo always struck a chord for me. I always remembered Volvo as being a safe car. It might not be the coolest looking car, but you’d have a better chance of walking away from an accident in a Volvo than in many other car brands.
Earlier this week, I was reminded of the Volvo brand promise when Brandcurve’s former author, Ron Elizondo, forwarded a link to me for a blog post by a woman whose daughter flipped her Volvo in a terrible accident and walked away with minor scratches. Check out her post here. It includes pictures of the car and her daughter. In my opinion, it’s a great testimonial for the Volvo brand, and Volvo should hype the safety of its cars more than they do in mainstream advertising.
What do you think of when you hear the brand name Volvo?
Hello Susan -
I had forgotten all about that movie – I never laughed so hard. I’ll have to Netflix it.
That was my daughter that flipped my car and it was really scary. I liked my Volvo before the accident, but now I love it.
I’m sure that her seat belts were critical to her safety – but I can’t help thinking the car also had something to do with it (and they’re not even boxy anymore!).
Ann
Ann, I’m so glad that your daughter was okay!
I own a Volvo 240 also called Volvo Polar. It’s a big old boxy nineties car and I think this car is not only safe but also cosey, laid back, uncomplicated, unconventional, practical and happy. In fact in the Netherlands I already saw several commercials starring the Polar. So it seems the Polar is becoming trendy. To my suprise some guys in Amsterdam wanted to take photographs of the Polar because they thought it was such a cool car.
All the best!