Volvo and AKQA unveil electric car making with documentary-led EX60
As audiences become increasingly interested in how things are made, Volvo's latest campaign for electric SUVs emphasizes transparency and process.
We live in a time when behind-the-scenes content can be as intriguing as the final product, so it’s no surprise that Volvo Cars has tapped into this cultural shift with its latest global campaign for the all-electric Volvo EX60. The film, created in collaboration with AKQA, puts manufacturing and mechanical craftsmanship at the heart of the story.
Rather than presenting the EX60 as a static object of desire, the campaign unfolds like a living documentary, inviting viewers into the world of Volvo – from factories and safety centers to engineering teams, tapping into the broader need for transparency and authenticity in design-driven industries.
This idea was most clearly demonstrated during the live launch of the EX60 in Stockholm. During the launch, held in Artipelago Park in the city’s archipelago, the car was constantly driving on stage – a spectacle never before seen. The event transformed the traditional car launch into a feat of choreography and engineering, with the car constantly moving around an immersive, digitally-generated Swedish landscape.
In collaboration with AKQA’s architecture and interior design studio, FutureDeluxe, and Volvo engineers, the show was created using robotic motion-controlled rims, a custom-built 26-meter LED screen, three turntables, and a carefully calibrated environment. As the EX60 moved, the surrounding images changed synchronously, demonstrating best-in-class capabilities in real time through a physical performance.
This focus on mobility has spilled over into a broader campaign, including a one-shot hero film directed by Philip Nilsson and produced by PINE. Shot without a single edit, the film follows the EX60 as it travels through vast natural landscapes and densely populated urban environments, subtly reinforcing its key innovation: a range of up to 810 kilometers on a single charge and the ability to recharge 340 kilometers in just 10 minutes.
While the presentation was impressive, the documentary-style films are perhaps the best way to convey the campaign’s cultural significance. Directors Louise Whitehouse and Magnus Härdner created the B-series, which takes viewers inside Volvo’s manufacturing processes, safety testing and technology partnerships. The films highlight people, experience and long-term thinking, revealing the complex engineering and humanizing the system that underpins sustainable mobility.
This is how Volvo sees openness as a brand value. By showing how the EX60 is designed, built, and tested, the campaign directly addresses lingering doubts about electric cars, particularly the “range anxiety”, by relying on evidence rather than assurance. The message is clear: sustainable travel is no longer a compromise; the proof lies in the process.
AKQA chief creative officer Peter Lund says the campaign “pushes the boundaries of what a car launch can be; stretching creativity and engineering to new heights.” More broadly, it reflects a shift in how brands communicate innovation. The auto industry, in particular, is saturated with claims of performance, sustainability, and durability. Still, Volvo has covered all the bases through its series of films designed to prove each one.
For Volvo, this means trusting the audience to engage with the complexity and recognizing that the journey behind the object is more important than the object itself.
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Images courtesy of Volvo.
