• BrandChannel , Thursday, July 29, 2010 10:43 AM

If Disney can produce risqué movies, why can't Volvo do "naughty" events? Shirley Brady says the Swedish brand that's famous for its safety features is trying to shake its image as a family-friendly brand by hosting parties in London, Paris, Milan, Berlin and Madrid to attract a mix of mix of hipsters, bloggers and celebrities to its new S60.

Over 3,000 partygoers were secretly filmed at the parties to see if they were tempted to "break the rules." An alluring actress, for example, pretended to be married. The Italians proved "chivalrous"; the English, "pushy." In the end -- no surprise here -- Paris emerged as the "Naughty Capital of Europe."

Brady re-quotes organizer Rob Leach, who told creativematch : "This campaign was the perfect way to attract and engage a new younger audience and get them to reappraise Volvo. The carefully crafted series of experiments mixed in seamlessly with the party atmosphere, bringing Volvo's positioning of the new S60 to life in a memorable and entertaining way."

Should you prefer the stodgy, un-hipsterish Volvo brand image of old, here's a YouTube "short documentary about the making of the new car" for you.

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