Can your brand boast that your new ad got 36,362,084 views on YouTube, within six days of being posted? Volvo can.
Volvo’s new ad is reaping serious brand admiration, thanks to action icon Jean-Claude Van Damme. Van Damme has been having a resurgence of relevancy in pop culture, in 2013, with his string of “It’s go time” ads for GoDaddy. But this Volvo one has really put him, and the brand, in the spotlight.
We won’t say anything about what goes on in the ad. Watch it for yourself (See above).
What we will say is:
- The ad sells the benefit of Volvo’s trucks – precision and stability of steering.
- It doesn’t just engage audiences. It captivates us. It’s memorable. It wows us. Hey, you probably don’t need a truck, but you will think Volvo is awesome… and you’ll secretly wish you could do this split.
“…how can I captivate audiences and sell the benefits of forming relationships and doing business with me?”
Watching the ad, you know that there’s no sign of movie-set special effects. Van Damme, at 53, does it all himself.
Volvo confirmed that the ad was done in one take, according to mashable.com. As a safety precaution, there were numerous safety lines to protect him. They weren’t visible in the video. The truck’s side mirrors also had small platforms to help Van Damme prop his feet.
If you’re a marketer, or anyone who is responsible for boosting a brand, ask yourself, how can I captivate audiences and sell the benefits of forming relationships and doing business with me? Most likely, you can’t recreate Van Damme’s stunt, and we don’t recommend being a copycat. However, we’re sure, if you bang your head against the wall just enough (figuratively… figuratively), you’ll come up with something.