Three times this week I’ve seen a billboard that says:
So today during my lunch break I actually went to the site. Let me ask you this: isn’t your immediate thought that Volvo is soliciting stories from people and giving away cars? That was my thought.
With that in mind, I went to the site. A couple of my favorite people are expecting a baby in January and they don’t have a car. Knowing that Volvos are all about safety, I thought it would be cool if I could write a nice, heartfelt story about them and how a Volvo would improve their lives, and maybe they’d actually win one. It would be one hell of a surprise and a very nice wedding/baby gift, right?
So, I went to the site. And it looks like this:
But before filling anything out, I noticed a link that says: Before uploading, please take a moment to read our FAQs.
I clicked there and the first sentence says:
Is there a Volvo vehicle being given away as part of the “Who Would You Give A Volvo To?”" campaign?
No. The WWYGAVT campaign is intended to make people think about the safety initiatives Volvo has taken in vehicle development and therefore why they would consider a Volvo for the special individuals in their lives.
Right. So I’m supposed to write a story or send in a video about why I would give a Volvo to Evan and Andrea because it will make me think of the safety initiatives Volvo has taken on.
What?
By thinking of who I would give a Volvo to, and submitting an entry with absolutely zero to gain, Volvo thinks it’s going to sell more cars? I just don’t understand this campaign. It makes zero sense to me.
7 responses so far ↓
1 Mitchell // Sep 20, 2006 at 1:18 pm
I did the exact same thing. pissed me off to no end. I saw mysingle mom niece with a son who has juvenile diabetes, safely making their way through 2 jobs and doctor’s appointments. great story, true story…Man, they missed the mark on this one!
2 Who would volvo not give a volvo to ? « Design Department // Sep 20, 2006 at 2:17 pm
[...] Yesterday during lunch, Nathan Burke checked out a promotion on the Volvo website that contained the headline, “Who Would You Give A Volvo To?” So he checked out the site which asks people to submit stories and/or videos about special people in their lives and why he’d like them to have a Volvo. While car manufacturers don’t give cars aways every day, the wording of the promotion certainly might lead someone to believe one would be. But, buried deep in the FAQ is this: “Is there a Volvo vehicle being given away as part of the ‘Who Would You Give A Volvo To?’ campaign? No. The WWYGAVT campaign is intended to make people think about the safety initiatives Volvo has taken in vehicle development and therefore why they would consider a Volvo for the special individuals in their lives.” [...]
3 karrie // Sep 24, 2006 at 12:50 pm
What the fuck?? I’ve seen the billboards and planned to write an appeal for a friend in a similar situation. Ok, I also nagged my husband to compose a plea on my behalf, because I miss my old, boxy circa 1983 Swede.
4 I nned car // Sep 29, 2006 at 3:33 pm
um…I’ll still enter just in case.
5 priscilla // Oct 5, 2006 at 11:40 pm
after reading everything about what a rip this volvo contest is , no wonder i’d buy an american built car even without all the safety features of volvo. God Bless America! God Damn the rest!
6 Yolanda // Oct 17, 2006 at 7:55 pm
I use to love Volvos…now I’m into Jags.
Put that into your cheap, misleading promotions - Volvo !
7 Casey // Mar 2, 2007 at 12:42 am
This is bullshit. I can’t believe volvo would do this, it makes you think about someone in need and actually have the hope That they might be able to win something. Screw them!
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