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June 23, 2004
Won't get fooled again
Volvo is desperate to be hip.
On its website, the automobile manufacturer most associated with safety, features a "documentary" that tries to explain why 32 families in a small Swiss hamlet all bought Volvs on the same day. (The local car dealer says he rarely sells 32 in a year.)
But it's all fake.
It's an advertising wolf in a documentary's wool coat. There are few, if any clues, that this very long ad is a mockumentary. As a result, Volvo comes off like a septugenarian trying to be cool to the kids. It looks like a dolt.
Trickery may trigger word of mouth, but it's a high price to pay for creating an elaborate and expensive lie. Lying fuels mistrust and in the gilded age of advertising saturation, customers are looking for authenticity. What a disappointment.
* Thanks to Robert Scoble for the tip on the Volvo ad.
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I saw this "mockumentary" weeks ago and could tell that it was fake. Tongue in cheek people! It's two desired effects? 1)We don't take ourselves so seriously and 2)Got you all talking about us. I think it works. Consider the media savvy of the target customer of the S40.
Early on they mention that the documentary is presented by Volvo Car, so they aren't really trying to hide the fact that they are behind it. I appreciate it because it's different than the normal advertising one sees, and yes, it is working since they have YOU talking about it.
I'd be more interested in your take on the Sportka Cat ad http://www.snopes.com/photos/commercials/sportka.asp which Ford has denied they authorized. That ad has also spread across the web, but Ford has been playing coy about the origin. That seems more deceptive to me than the Volvo ad.
Just because I post a blog comment doesn't necessarily mean the program is a success. That's like me saying a certain high-level government official is doing a great job because you seethe out loud every time you see him in the news.
Rather, my purpose in posting is to sway others about the invalidity of Volvo's tricksterism. It also highlights the folly of branding ads.
As for the Sportka ad, it reminds me of a slightly disturbed 12-year-old boy who tortures animals, or bullies neighborhood kids; in his desperate plea to be noticed by someone, anyone, he demonstrates he has little, if any, self-esteem.
Then again, that's how you could describe most automobile marketing anyway.
I think the criticism is unjustified in this instance. It's very clearly marked as a 'produced by Volvo' production. It's extremely tongue in cheek - maybe it is more directed towards a European audience who is used to this kind of humour.
And finally, it isn't set in Switzerland, it's set in Sweden. It might be worth getting the facts right before shouting spouting off.
I stand corrected: A small, Swedish hamlet.
Here's the thing: The Internet makes geographic targeting wobblier than a stone-cobbled street. If there are, indeed, parts of Europe that *love* to be fooled by fake "documentaries," then a better strategy would be to send those people videotapes or CDs.
But don't make a fake film available on the Web with a send-to-a-friend function and not expect people to become confused because it elaborately pretends to be something it isn't.
Better yet, show it in local theaters. Charge admission! It's a documentary, right? Hello, Cannes!
Alas, a small but dedicated group of prudes like myself are tired of misleading marketing. Corporate obfuscation? Don't get me started. Like I said, we're a small group.
My point in all of this silliness is this: Car companies can generate enthusiastic buzz and inspire customer evangelism by giving people something to believe in. A higher purpose.
There's evidence out there: The launch of GM's Saturn division is case study #1. The launch of the Mini Cooper is case study #2.
Better yet, show it in local theaters. Charge admission! It's a documentary, right? Hello, Cannes!
Not sure how they do things up there in Chicago, but down here in Dallas, the local movie theatres show commercials prior to the "coming soon" trailers. Interesting thing is, they are commercials that do not run on television (mostly).
Not having seen the Volvo commercial that is generating so much passion pro and con, I wonder if perhaps the movie theatre *would* be a good venue for such ads.
Also, what about Scion and the Honda Element? I find their advertising to be so incredibly demographically targeted, that I'm afraid of being accused of Peter Pan Syndrome or something if I so much as sat in one in the showroom.
I have to go yell at the kids on my lawn now...
There's plenty of advertising before movies here in Chicago (groan).
Effern, if you test-drive a Scion, be sure to wear your Abercrombie & Fitch outfit!
I found the mockumentary to be entertaining, engaging and informative. The typical Volvo customer is one who is curious and discerning and I think this marketing approach will appeal to them … even if it is 100% pure hucksterism.
The marketing gadfly in me loves that the mockumentary teases and tantalizes the viewer by planting inquisitive thoughts to follow-up – Is this real? What makes Volvo so special?
The premise that 32 people from the same town bought the same car on the same day is preposterous. Yet, the quality production of the piece, the believable acting, and the veiled sales pitch gives credence to the story being real.
I believe the target customer is less interested in if the story is true and is more interested (and intrigued) to learn more about the Volvo S40. The marketers at Volvo must have read Stephen Brown’s "Torment Your Customers (They’ll Love It)" HBR article because this tactic is straight out of Stephen’s marketing playbook. (By the way, this HBR article is a WAY WORTHY READ. Scroll below for a link.)
Should Volvo have been more transparent and upfront with this mockumentary? I don’t think so. The premise is too preposterous to be believable. Playing off Peter's comments above … the target customer of the Volvo S40 is too savvy to not appreciate the sly, well-crafted sales pitch from Volvo.
Bravo to Volvo!!!
The link to Stephen Brown’s Torment Your Customers (They’ll Love It) HBR article:
http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/b01/en/common/item_detail.jhtml;jsessionid=VD1FGJI30YGYACTEQENSELQ?id=7855
Nice use of the word septugenarian.
Actually, it's poor use of septugenarian.
Proper use would be spelling it correctly:
S-E-P-T-U-A-G-E-N-A-R-I-A-N
Was it directed by Michael Moore? ;o)
