Volvo Trucks and This 3-Year-Old Set a Guinness World Record With Latest Big Stunt

Eat your heart out, Matchbox! Volvo sets the first-ever Guinness World Record for "Largest Unboxing" in grand style as big-rig enthusiast Joel Jovine, age 3, reveals the nameplate's latest VNL 760 tractor trailer by opening a colossal toy-truck container. Swedish agency Forsman & Bodenfors, whose "Live Test Series" for the client included the "Epic Split" spot starring Jean-Claude Van Damme a few years back, helped develop the new campaign. [kickout id="1"] That massive carton, made mostly of cardboard and cellophane, was based on classic toy-package designs, including Volvo's own die-cast model truck boxes. It measured 80 feet long by 14 feet wide by 18 feet high, and took 36 hours to build. (The Brobdingnagian bar code was a cute touch.) The truck itself is 72 feet long and weighs 16 tons. Why stage such a stunt? "When we saw the film with the little kid unboxing a Spiderman battery-powered ride that has 218 million YouTube views, we said, 'This is it! How can we do something as exciting?'" Magnus Koeck, vp of marketing and brand management for Volvo Trucks North America, tells Adweek. Producing the video presented "quite a few challenges because of the size of the tractor trailer and the need for secrecy," Koeck says. "We were required to back it up three blocks to get it into position. The turns were too tight for a normal approach." The crew worked "straight through the night" to set up the box, he says. "We ended up shooting much later than anticipated, and the Guinness official was afraid he would not be able to do the measurement before it was dark. He was very understanding about the delays." When filming finally began, "Joel was so excited when we surprised him with the truck that the cameraman had a hard time keeping up with him running around the box." As for the brand takeaway, "we hope it makes you feel that Volvo Trucks makes innovative products and is not afraid to have a little fun with its fans," says Koeck. "The target audience is very broad because we hope it resonates with people of all ages. But as with all 'cut-through' ideas, it's about creating awareness around our brand and products—exactly the same task as the Van Damme ad and several other films we produced in the last few years." The sight of a full-size tractor trailer sitting in its colorful box on a typical suburban street is YUGE-ly memorable. And that truck-lovin' tyke brings some serious feels, providing a giddy, giggly focus for the story. So, congrats on the world record! Though it's probably just a matter of time until Boeing unboxes its latest 767 on the tarmac at JFK, or NASA astronauts open a shiny orbital package containing a new space station. CREDITS Client: Volvo Trucks North America Product: Volvo VNL, Longhaul truck Title: The new Volvo VNL – The world's largest unboxing Advertiser Supervisor: Rick Giamportone, Manager Launch Communications, Magnus Koeck, Vice President, Marketing & Brand Management Agency: Forsman & Bodenfors Account Directors: Cilla Pegelow, Olle Victorin Account Manager: Britta Malmberg Art Director: Kim Cramer, Anders Eklind Copywriter: Björn Engström, Martin Ringqvist Designer: Jerry Wass PR Strategist: Bjame Darwall Planner: Tobias Nordström Agency Producer, Film: Lena Sellman Agency Producer, Digital: Peter Gaudiano Production company: Acne Producer: Lars Nordenson Executive producer: Petur Mogensen Media Partner: Oath Director: Torbjörn Martin Music: Jonas Quant Music Supervisor: Markus Bergkvist Editor: Torbjörn Martin Postproduction: MediaMonks Sound: MediaMonks Social media: South Agency PR: Ogilvy, Oath, Volvo Trucks

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Volvo Trucks and This 3-Year-Old Set a Guinness World Record With Latest Big Stunt

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