Volvo CarsThe art of balance

Insight

Life’s a balancing act.

For all of us, life is one big balancing act. It’s a state of being and doing; of working hard and not at all. It’s an act of making calculated decisions and spinning your wheel of fortune. The universal truth is that balance is hard to find and easy to lose.

Enter the Volvo ES90: a car that makes the journey toward harmony infinitely safer and smoother.

Idea

The ultimate modern luxury.

The Volvo ES90 is designed in response to the real, human desire for life balance. In a class of its own, the fully electric premium car empowers owners to do more of what they love with the people they love.

The global launch of Volvo’s latest EV translated that universal ambition into a standout 360 campaign, from concept to post-production. At the centre of the ES90’s introduction was its unveiling at Stockholm’s Artipelag art gallery, broadcast live around the world.

The launch event, a collaboration between AKQA, Universal Design Studio and Volvo Cars in-house teams, immersed guests in a mulberry-hued world where every detail embodied notions of balance. At its heart was the car itself, presented on a striking, engineered stage that served as a powerful focal point. Surrounded by perfectly symmetrical architecture, it became the backdrop for six major content productions, creating a launch experience defined by precision and harmony.

The art of balance theme was brought to life beyond the main stage, with bespoke installations transforming the Artipelag’s iconic gallery. These interactive displays acted as elegant, physical metaphors for the Volvo ES90's core principles, inviting guests to explore the future of automotive safety, technology, and design firsthand.

The event anchored a constellation of supporting assets, each exploring the theme of balance from the psychological to the physical.

The ES90’s launch film saw its central protagonist pushed and pulled into the air by life’s invisible strings. Work and play, friends and family, existing in an endless aerial ballet, only finding solid ground and regaining balance inside of the stabilising force that is Volvo ES90.
A playful reveal gave in-person and online audiences their first look at the car, poised atop a colossal and balancing seesaw to bridge the shared experiences of life, from the office to the great outdoors.

Social media and out-of-home content communicated messages of versatility with a car that moves seamlessly from C-Suite to seaside, offering ample trunk space and headspace.

Impact

A class of its own.

The ES90 reveal captivated audiences worldwide, encouraging them to embrace Volvo Cars’ new era of electrification and driving high engagement across all channels. In just one week, the launch campaign gathered hundreds millions of views, with strong results in site visits, press coverage and social engagement. Media coverage successfully delivered all key messaging with clarity and accuracy, reinforcing the campaign’s impact and securing its reputation as AKQA’s most single-minded, cohesive campaign for Volvo Cars yet.