The art of launching four trucks, as demonstrated by Volvo

When one talks about automobile ads, the first few thoughts that come to mind include shiny cars with sharp edges and speeds that reach astronomical numbers. The sound of the revving engines is pure magic, and so are the 'trademarks' that they leave on the asphalt track.

But, for some weird reason, nobody imagines trucks when one mentions automobile ads. It could be because trucks aren't smooth or fast, and don't make for cool ads.

Now if someone mentions Volvo Trucks then, perhaps, a small smile may appear on quite a few faces. The global truck manufacturer based in Gothenburg, Sweden is, after all, notorious for ad films which blend product features with humour seamlessly.

Recently, Volvo Trucks released a new ad for the launch of four trucks. Mind you, launching one truck is hard. So, Volvo did the smart thing and perched one truck on top of another. And, in the end, like a cherry on the cake, the truck manufacturer put its president Roger Alm right at the very top.

The ad had everything. From rain to lightning to wolves to Vangelis (Conquest of paradise) playing in the background. The humour and 'over the top' idea is what makes this Volvo Trucks ad so special. The total weight of the 'tower' was 58 tonnes, and that's what the messaging at the end of the ad said. The ad was, rightly, dubbed 'The Tower'.

Alm, in a press release, says, "This is our biggest launch ever at Volvo Trucks. They will have a huge impact on our customers’ profitability, and ability to compete both for business and the best drivers. I'm used to being on top of things, but for me, shooting the truck tower was definitely an unusual day at work. And let’s just say, I have a certain respect for heights. I'm a down to earth guy."

Forsman & Bodenfors, a Swedish advertising agency, was behind this ad, which was shot at a testing ground outside Volvo’s hometown of Gothenburg.

Volvo Trucks is popular across the world for such ads and often dubs them as 'Live Test'. Think of it as a test run for one of the trucks' features, which is showcased in this neat, impressive ad.

Way back in 2013, Volvo Trucks got Hollywood actor Jean-Claude Van Damme to perform his famous 'split' between two reversing trucks. Why? To simply demonstrate the precision of Volvo Dynamic Steering. Some say this ad was the inspiration for Bollywood star Ajay Devgn to perform splits in his movies.

Meanwhile, in another 'Live Test', dubbed 'The Flying Passenger', Volvo Trucks attached a paraglider behind one of its trucks. The aim was to tow the paraglider while demonstrating the vehicle's speed. The result? One amazing ad. With one eye-catching ad after another, Volvo Trucks has clearly managed to stand out amongst its peers.