Volvo marks EX30 launch with sustainable touring activation ‘The Small Life’ via Graffiti

Question: How does Volvo Cars demonstrate its sustainability credentials with the brand new small but mighty EX30 to the broader eco-minded Australian audiences? Answer: Collaborate with Graffiti.

Melbourne-based brand experience agency Graffiti was invited by Volvo Car Australia to develop a brand experience campaign that encompassed and demonstrated the heritage automotive brands – sustainability is just as important as safety, mantra.

Enter, ‘The Small Life by Volvo’. Reimagining the static vehicle display ‘The Small Life by Volvo’ is a custom built, Scandinavian-inspired tiny house. It emulates an immersive slow-living experience, designed to attract the EV curious who are increasingly seeking to escape city life with off-grid getaways. ‘The Small Life’ expresses the Volvo EX30’s minimalist luxury and sustainability credentials, wrapped in a palpable statement about the power of living small.

Taking sustainability focussed brand activations one step further, the house is set to enjoy a second life as a bookable retreat in regional NSW through a partnership with tiny house platform, Into the Wild Escapes. Visitors to the activation had the chance to win a weekend getaway in the house once it’s relocated, complete with a Volvo EX30 for the drive.

Says Julie Hutchinson, marketing director, Volvo Car Australia: “We were so excited by Graffiti’s approach to this launch. For us, being true to our brand values is critical and ‘The Small Life by Volvo’ truly feels like an extension of those values while championing the Volvo EX30. We wanted to create an opportunity to engage this audience outside of the traditional showroom experience, so introducing them to the EX30 on their terms and in a way that aligns with their values is key. We are also thrilled that this brand activity will live on far beyond the physical activation.”

Carefully curated, the house features key touch points meticulously designed with renewable and recycled materials to echo the features and interior of the Volvo EX30. From the sound system, sofa fabrics, paint colours and lighting design, the house creates an immersive understanding of the Volvo EX30 before even stepping foot in the vehicle.

Crucially for Volvo Cars, the activation allows for lead capture creating long term opportunities to engage with this audience.

Says Katie Inglis, creative director at Graffiti: “We knew that in order to align with both Volvo Cars’ values and the EX30’s progressive new audiences, we needed to create an experience that lived far beyond a physical event and had sustainability at its heart. By tapping into like-minded brand partnerships and content Volvo has been able to create enjoyment and offer EV education to passersby that experience ‘The Small Life’, as well as ensuring that these benefits are enjoyed far beyond the physical site with longer term purpose for the activation.”

The Small Life by Volvo activation has been turning heads in major CBD locations across Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney and is currently making its way to its forever home in the Blue Mountains ready for the competition winners to visit.

‘The Small Life by Volvo’ is the latest work in an ongoing partnership for Graffiti and Volvo Car Australia.

Volvo
Julie Hutchinson, Marketing Director
Andrew Knox – Brand Marketing Manager
Hayley McMahon, Experiential Marketing & Activation Manager

Graffiti
Katie Inglis, Creative Director
Laurel Davis, Senior Creative
Vivienne Collins, Head of Experience
Madeline Shard, Account Director
Kate Plummer, Senior Producer
Ladesha Dromgool, Design & Styling
Mia Curtis, Production
Kate Speakman, Production