The brief
Swedish carmaker Volvo drove into popular tourist attractions and malls in five tier-one cities Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Shanghai for a series of ‘China Chic Flash Shows’ during China’s ‘Golden Week’ National Day holiday. Conceived as a way to raise Volvo’s public profile and boost sales, each show was designed as a visual spectacular, juxtaposing the cars’ cool Scandinavian design with a dazzling dose of China chic. Pico was entrusted with activating the shows using its expertise in creative planning, design, building and operation.
Insight
Many younger people in China are seeking to revive traditional aesthetics and culture by bringing China chic elements into their everyday lives. By blending this idea into Volvo’s car shows, the Pico team sought to foster a delightful visitor experience that would generate positive engagement with the brand and a prolific social media presence. Accordingly, both the cars and the settings were decorated to create irresistible photo ops.
Solution
Show designs varied from city to city, in keeping with the differing cultural aesthetics of each. Common across all shows was a range of festive interactive activities interspersed with the car displays. They included workshops, photo booths, and mini-games, all of which helped to extend visitor engagement with the show and the Volvo brand.
Some interactive activities related specifically to a city’s distinct lifestyle and features: A playful ‘hotpot spinning game’ in Chongqing reminded participants of the city’s famous cuisine and the stilted buildings and antique commercial streets of Hongyadong; while in Guangzhou and Shanghai, young family buyers were drawn in by children’s playhouses and coffee bars, a combination that allowed parents some stylish ‘me time’ with the cars.
Results
The five shows resulted in Volvo receiving nearly 7,000 contacts from individuals and distributors.
