Embrace It

Volvo x Grey New York

Here's one way to embrace the future:

A beautifully told story by Volvo and Grey New York will inspire us all to be the type of people that embrace the future and the fear that comes along with it. With the new year right around the corner, it's a pretty timely piece.

This is why I'm a fan:

If you've seen any of Volvo's 15 second teasers, you've wondered what they are trying to pull. For many, that mystic worked and for others, not so much. One thing that can't be denied though, is that at the end, it all came full circle. Like every good thing, there is no need to rush it. And no matter how you look at these ads, you can always see one thing that's consistent. And that is: Volvo's messaging and the fact that it isn't about them.

Here, you get to see how they very cleverly connect real emotions with a real story. We embrace the story of Catherine “Cady” Coleman -- the NASA vet who spent over six months on the International Space Station in 2011. And during her journey, we get to be a part of the communication between her and her husband who supported her from, well, Earth.

And with a speech like that? Let's just say: Every advice that comes from individuals who have lived what they are preaching hits harder. Sure, that wasn't Cady herself on screen but she was very much a part of the process which is why it was so believable. Her heart was in it.

"When you see yourself in the present, you can see yourself in the future," says Cady about young girls seeing themselves in this ad. And here's a random but fun little fact about Cady: It's Cady who advised Sandra Bullock on the film 'Gravity' to help empower her role. And if you watched the film, Sandra, very graciously transmitted what Cady aims to do through her story.

And how nostalgic was it to come to the realization that the astronaut's parents (on 1:19), are the same parents on Volvo's 2016 "Wedding" installment? It was more to us than a nice touch. The intentionality with connecting past, present and future here was brilliant.

Watch the two first installments below.

"Wedding":

"Song of The Open Road":

What makes this a complete win? The thought process that's inspiring this creative lead:

“My guess is we will be shifting gears, trying something new. The [auto] category has gotten more into creating universes as opposed to single spots, and I want to keep pushing it. It’s cool to see more brands and agencies exploring that model, because it makes TV more interesting to watch as opposed to 30 seconds of us talking about ourselves.”

-- Matt O’Rourke, Grey New York's Executive Creative Director

May ALL brands and ALL agencies embrace Mr. O'Rourke's words in 2018 and beyond.

Sources: Adweek