Volvo ad celebrates Sweden at its most melancholic and sad

by Ben Bold January 21, 2015

Volvo ad: shows Sweden at its harshest, and most beautiful

It's rare for a brand to intentionally inspire feelings of melancholy in consumers, but this is just what this stunningly-shot wintry spot for Volvo sets out to do - a four-minute short that shows Sweden during its bleakest season.

The ad, which became the longest-ever ad to air in Sweden when it broke at the weekend, depicts the month of January in Sweden, when the landscape is battered with wind, rain and snow and the sun barely rises.

The action is accompanied by the suitably mournful voice of Swedish singer-songwriter Amanda Bergman.

According to its director Gustav Johansson, 'Vintersaga' sets out to convey a sense of ‘vemod’ - a Swedish word that doesn’t have a direct translation into English, but which is best defined as a kind of melancholy, but tempered with optimism.

The ad is part of Volvo’s ‘Made in Sweden’ campaign.

Brand: Volvo

Agency: Forsman & Bodenfors

Creatives: Andreas Malm, Staffan Lamm, Fredrik Jansson, Mikko Timonen