Volvo has finally found its groove, and it seems to be churning out one great car after another. It all started with the new XC90, but that doesn't mean that some of the models it had prior to the relaunch of its largest SUV weren't some very respectable vehicles.
We're thinking here about the XC60, the compact-sized SUV that everybody is very surprised to find out it's the best-sold model in its class, besting competitors like Audi Q5, BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLC(K) or the slightly smaller Range Rover Evoque.
Yes, the XC60 turned out to be something of a silent killer, and we quite liked it as well when we tested it last year, even though it is beginning to show its age. But we're not here to talk about the XC60. Volvo is marking this newly-found recipe for success by emphasizing its Scandinavian roots.
It wants us to understand and understand good that it's a Swedish company, and that should mean something for all of us: it comes from a rough but beautiful country, with rough yet talented and ambitious people.
For the former, it's got the wonderful and frozen scenery to show for, putting us straight in the middle of that untamed wilderness where we would probably survive for a grand total of two minutes. The latter, however, that's where Sweden's most famous footballer of the moment comes in. Zlatan Ibrahimovic may not have the most Viking-sounding name, but he's every bit as Swedish as those reindeer we see in the clip.
He is currently playing for French side Paris Saint-Germain, but even as I write this, he could be signing a new deal that will see him play for British legendary team Manchester United starting next season. That may not mean that much to you if you're not into football (or soccer), but we'll just leave this here to sink in: he could be paid around 15 million pounds ($22 million) per season. And that's before Volvo or any other company using his image begin to make their payments.
A little more than two years ago, Zlatan worked with Volvo for the commercial spot of their XC70 all-terrain station wagon model, and since we've settled that he doesn't come cheap, it must have been worth it because they are set for a new collaboration. Today, the Swedish carmaker announced that on May 30, they will be releasing a new video featuring Ibrahimovic, this time, to promote another wagon: the new V90 model.
They've included a short (really short) teaser which you can see below, but apart from that, we're left in the dark both literally and metaphorically. Anders Gustafsson, Senior Vice President for Europe, Middle East, and Africa at Volvo, tries to shed some light: “The campaign is a celebration of the independent mind, of the power that lies in the ability to think differently. There are many similarities between Zlatan’s and Volvo’s journeys. We haven’t got to where we are now by doing the same as everyone else.”
"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie) Full profile
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